Solstice
by h3ymrsunshine
Summary: Leah is in the process of learning to live with Sam and Emily's betrayal. Bella is devastated after Edward and the rest of the Cullens abandon her. The two of them become fast friends and help each other through tough times. This is an f/f story so if you are not into that I suggest you read something else.
1. Chapter 1

**In this story Edward leaves Bella like in the books but before the start of the school year - similar reasons (she's at their place, injures herself, Jasper attacks, etc.) just not on her birthday. If anything is confusing feel free to ask and I can clear it up.**

* * *

I glance at myself in the mirror one last time before I head out the door. My straight black hair is in a loose braid that reaches halfway down my back. I am wearing dark blue skinny jeans, a faded Bad Brains t-shirt, and a pair of black boots. I tend to wear darker colors more often as they go well with my copper skin tone. Before heading out the door I grab a black jacket, my forest green backpack, and an apple for breakfast. My father is already at work and my mother must be taking my younger brother Seth to school.

Today is my first day at Forks High School and to say that I am not excited would be a huge understatement. I was expelled from my school on the reservation on the last day of my Junior year for getting into a fight with Paul Lahote. Actually it is sort of unfair to call it a fight because all that really happened was that I slammed Paul's head into a locker and then he ran away. I doubt Paul would have said anything if his friend Jared Cameron hadn't seen it happen and immediately ran to tell a teacher. Jared has always been a little snitch. Paul and I were called in along with our parents, Paul corroborated Jared's story and seeing as it wasn't my first fight that year the principal expelled me.

I didn't bother explaining why I had gotten violent with Paul in the first place, mainly because I didn't think it would make a difference. I had been dating Sam Uley for three years when out of nowhere he disappeared for a while, came back acting all distant, and then broke up with me without a real reason. I was pissed and I have never been great at handling my emotions so this resulted in a lot of anger and violence on my part. I'm not saying I was justified or anything but Paul found me and started going off about how happy Sam was dating my cousin Emily. That's right - shortly after Sam dumped me he started pursuing my cousin and, at the time, best friend Emily. She pretended to be resistant for a minute but didn't exactly turn him away and they eventually started dating. Sam had already graduated but Jared and Paul, who had started following him around like puppy dogs a few months after he broke up with me, loved finding me at school and getting in my face about it. I am not proud of what I did...actually scratch that I am proud of what I did. But my parents were not proud and neither was the principal.

Shortly after I got expelled it came to light that Sam had proposed to Emily and the two were getting engaged. My parents understood that the breakup was hard on me, even though my dad seemed irritatingly sympathetic with Sam's decision to leave me for my cousin. They sent me to a therapist in Port Angeles twice a week throughout the summer and it helped me curb most of my more violent impulses. Luckily I had taken my final exams before being expelled so my parents were able to enroll me in Forks High without too much trouble, although I did have to sign a behavior contract promising not to bang any more heads into lockers. Or something to that effect, I wasn't paying too much attention.

The second I pull up to the school in my black '67 Impala almost all the students in the parking lot turn to look at me. Forks is a small place so it's hard for new students to fly under the radar here. When I step out of the car everybody seems to quiet down, whispering as I walk past them towards the office. Out of the corner of my eye I notice a baby-faced blonde boy with spiky hair running to catch up to me. Finally he falls into step alongside me and catches his breath before speaking.

"Hi, I'm Mike Newton. You must be Leah Clearwater."

"Must be."

I'm a little shocked that this man-child already knows my full name but I don't let it show. Mike chooses to ignore my brusque reply and continues pestering me.

"Small school so of course your arrival is news. We haven't had a new student since Bella Swan showed up last year. Although I guess you're not as new as her since you're from right next door to us. I go down to La Push quite often actually to surf. I could teach you if you want, I'm pretty good."

I resist the impulse to shove him away from me even though he is walking closer than is necessary, our arms are brushing against each other with every other step. I will mention this incredible show of restraint to my therapist at our next session. He will be proud, especially when I tell explain how annoying this Mike fellow is. I decide not to speak until we reach the office.

"I can take it from here. See you around Matt."

I say the wrong name on purpose and quickly walk through the door before he can correct me. I am still smiling at the look on his face as I walk up to the secretary to ask for my schedule and a school map. My first class is English in Building 6 and I manage to find it without too much trouble. I am ten minutes early so I slide into a seat at the back of the class to wait for it to start. Other students start to trickle in but the seats around me remain vacant until a pale brunette walks in and makes a beeline for the back, grabbing the seat to my right.

She has headphones in her ears and is not paying attention to her surroundings so I doubt she even notices that there is someone in the seat next to her. She has chestnut brown hair that reaches just past her shoulders. She is wearing black jeans, a plain blue shirt, and a simple black jacket. She's a bit shorter than I am and got an average build, perhaps a little on the skinny side, and she sits slumped in her seat as if she's trying to take up as little space as possible. When the teacher walks in the girl pulls the earbuds from her ear and sticks them in her pocket, but does not sit up or acknowledge her surroundings in any other way. The teacher, Ms. Wyatt, goes through roll call and I don't find out the girl's name until near the end of the list.

"Bella Swan?"

"Here."

She speaks in a low voice that sounds more apathetic than any other person in the room. Considering this is a 1st period 12th grade English class I find that to be an impressive accomplishment. I think this might be the girl Mike was talking about this morning who just moved here last year, maybe she just never took well to Forks. The teacher passes out class syllabi and spends most of the time going over the different parts of our grade. I am about to zone out when she mentions something about finding a partner and in true high school fashion everyone starts scrambling around like it's the fucking apocalypse. Bella and I are the only ones that don't immediately latch on to someone so I look in her direction to see if she wants to pair up and it doesn't even look like she's noticed the mayhem. She's sitting incredibly still, just staring blankly at the syllabus. I tap her shoulder lightly and even though I'm sure it startled her a little her facial expression does not change as she turns her head towards me.

"Looks like we're stuck with each other. I'm Leah, by the way."

"Bella."

Her voice is disinterested and she is turning away from me before she even finishes saying her name. I am insulted that she is being so indifferent towards me even though that is exactly how I treat almost everyone else. Before I can say anything else the bell rings and Bella slips away without so much as a glance back at me. I gather my things and head towards my next class.


	2. Chapter 2

Calculus is the same as English, attendance and a syllabus to go over. I spend my time thinking about Bella Swan, something about her intrigues me. I'm sure my therapist would say this has something to do with my need to be the baddest bitch in every room (maybe not in those words), which may be true but I don't think Bella is _bad_ necessarily. At least not in the way I am. Maybe that is what is curious about her...she just doesn't seem like your garden variety over-apathetic teenager. I think something happened to her to turn her into the zombie person I saw in English class and I find myself wanting to know the story.

After math I have Chemistry which is similarly uneventful, except that Mike is in my class along with some annoying girl named Jessica. They try to talk to me but lucky for me the teacher is really strict and does not tolerate any chatter so they are unsuccessful. When the bell rings I rush out before either of them can corner me and head to Spanish class.

Once more I find myself sitting towards the back of the classroom and this time the person that sits next to me is a boy. He is about the same height as me, has golden brown skin, and straight black hair that falls over his brown eyes. He is wearing dark skinny jeans, a red t-shirt with some comic book characters on it, and a dark brown hoodie. The boy plops down on the desk to my left and then seems to notice me sitting there. He smiles in my direction and gives me a slight wave.

"Hola! Me llamo Ben."

He grins at me as he says it and I decide that I like him, which is unusual for me but he seems like a genuinely nice guy. The way he looks at me is friendly and completely devoid of the obvious attraction that was in Mike's eyes or the jealousy that I saw in Jessica's. I flash him a genuine smile and wave back.

"Hola, me llamo Leah."

Before we can say any more class starts and the teacher takes roll. This teacher is a bit more relaxed, she goes over some introductory stuff for the class then has us write a paragraph about ourselves in Spanish to turn into her. When we're done she allows us to have some free time to talk to each other as long as we do it in Spanish. Ben and I stumble through a conversation, it's Spanish 4 so we have a decent grasp of vocabulary but we are both rusty from having the summer off. We bond over a shared love of action movies and video games. He also tells me about his interest in graphic novels and about his girlfriend Angela, who he has known for a while but just starting dating at the end of last year. I mention that I enjoy surfing and he tells me he goes surfing occasionally with his group of friends in La Push but isn't that good. When class ends and we start walking towards the cafeteria he switches to English.

"Hey if you don't have any plans for lunch you should join my group."

"That'd be cool, thanks."

"Don't thank me just yet. Some of my friends are morons."

We are both chuckling as we walk through the cafeteria doors and get in line to grab food. Once we have our trays he leads me towards a table that, to my horror, has Jessica and Mike on it. However Bella is also sitting there which I find interesting, she didn't seem like the type to be sitting with a group like this. She is sitting next to a tall girl with light brown hair who has her arm around Bella's shoulders as though she is trying to comfort her. On the other side of the tall girl is a tall boy who is pale and has short black hair. Ben slides in next to Mike, ending up sitting across from tall brunette who smiles shyly at him when he sits down. I sit next to him and everyone looks at me as Ben introduces me.

"Hey everyone. This is Leah, we met in Spanish class and she's really cool."

I give a short wave and smile at everyone as the two I don't know introduce themselves. The tall girl next to Bella introduces herself in a quiet voice and I find out she is Ben's girlfriend, Angela. The boy next to her is Eric and he seems nice enough. Once introductions have been made Jessica speaks up in her high-pitched voice.

"Bella was just telling us that Edward broke up with her last week. His whole family just moved away out of nowhere. If you ask me I think we're better off without them, the Cullens were seriously weird."

The Cullens, that is a name that sounds familiar. The elders in our tribe do not like them, I heard my dad refer to them as "the cold ones" once when he was talking to Billy Black. Some of our elders seem to actually believe in our tribe legends which I find a little sad. They don't allow this poor family in La Push because they think they are "the cold ones" that our ancestors are said to have made a treaty with decades ago. Hearing that one of them broke up with Bella does explain a lot though...I knew there had to be some reason behind her attitude. Angela responds to Jessica and I am surprised by the stern tone she uses.

"Jessica can you please try to be a bit sensitive?"

"She probably can't," Eric chimes in. "I don't think Jessica is capable of normal human emotion." Everyone chuckles and Jessica turns red.

"Ugh whatever. Screw you Eric. And you," she looks over at Mike, "I can't believe you just let him speak like that to me."

Jessica storms away dramatically and Mike rolls his eyes as he grabs both their trays and follows after her. I look over at Ben and he seems to know what I'm going to ask before I open my mouth because he nods and says, "Yep, they're dating."

It doesn't escape my notice that Bella has not said anything since I sat down, she doesn't even really seem to be paying attention to everyone's conversation. The only time she shows even a flicker of interest is when Eric asks why I left school on the reservation and I tell him I was expelled, though she loses interest when it becomes apparent I am not going to tell Eric what I did to get expelled. Ben changes the subject by bringing up that I like to surf and soon we are all planning to get together on Saturday at the beach in La Push. Angela tells Bella that she and Ben will pick her up on the way to the beach and she nods in acceptance.

Angela and Ben shoot each other worried glances at Bella's lack of emotion as the bell rings to signal the end of lunch. My next class is history and Angela's class is next door so we walk over to the building together. I can tell Angela is a bit shy but we talk the entire way. She asks me about my interests and listens politely when I talk. She is very kind and I can see why Ben likes her. I don't know anyone in my history class and it is pretty uneventful. When it's over I meet Angela outside the door since she offered to show me the way to the gym for my final class.

I ask her about herself as we walk over since we spent our last trip talking about me. She has two younger brothers, twins, who she says take a lot of her time but I can tell she loves them dearly. When we get to the gym doors I thank her before she walks away and then head over to the bleachers where the rest of the class is sitting and waiting for the teacher. I notice Bella sitting in the third row off to the side of the group and decide to go sit next to her. She glances at me as I sit down and gives me a half-hearted nod. I don't try to have a conversation with her because I have a feeling it wouldn't work too well.

The gym teacher enters and introduces himself as Coach Clapp. He takes attendance before going over all the rules for the class. Before the end of the period we file into the locker rooms to claim our lockers, I end up getting one next to Bella since we walk in next to each other. When the bell rings I am still struggling with my lock and Bella slips out with a nod in my direction, something I see as progress.

By the time I figure out my lock, get my gym clothes put away, and make my way out to the front of the school the parking lot is almost empty. As I walk towards my car I notice there is an ugly red truck a few spots down from me that is making a sputtering sound. I walk over to see none other than Bella sitting in the driver's seat trying unsuccessfully to start it. As I get closer to the truck I see her slam the driving wheel in frustration. She throws her door open and hops out of the truck just as I get there.

"Hey, something wrong with your truck?"

"Yeah, it won't start. I don't know why."

"Do you mind if I have a look?"

Bella gestures with her hand for me to go ahead and look so I step towards her truck. It only takes me a few minutes to figure out what the problem is.

"Your battery is dead. It needs a jump. I could give you one if you have a cable…"

"I don't." Bella stares helplessly at her truck, looking like she could burst into tears at any moment. Considering her boyfriend just broke up with her and skipped town last week, I'm assuming this is just pushing her over the edge. I try to jump in before she gets too upset.

"I can give you a ride home if you'd like. I can also pick you up tomorrow to bring you back here. I'll bring a cable with me and give you a jump after school."

"I can't ask you to do all that for me."

"You're not asking, I'm offering." I smile at her in what I hope is a reassuring way. I am surprised when she returns my smile with a small grin.

"Thank you Leah. That's really kind of you."

I lead her to my car and we both get in. She actually talks to me on the way to her house, though it may just be because she feels bad ignoring me while I'm giving her a ride. Between giving me directions she tells me about having moved from Phoenix and I tell her about my little brother. She asks if I miss going to school on the reservation and I tell her honestly that I do not. I pull into her driveway but she gives me a questioning look instead of getting out, so I explain further.

"I went through a pretty rough break up last year, his name was Sam. He ended our three year relationship out of nowhere and was dating my cousin, who he met while we were dating, within a month. They're engaged now." Bella makes a shocked face. "Yeah, it sucked. Anyway I've never been great at controlling my emotions and after that I was pretty much a wreck. I would go from being sad to angry at the drop of a hat, and when I got angry I would sometimes get violent. Two of the kids at my school started following Sam around a bit after we broke up, like they were all in some sort of gang and he was the leader. Sam had already graduated but the other two were still at the school with me. They followed me around at school and wouldn't let me forget what had happened. I was expelled because I snapped on the last day of school and grabbed one of them, Paul, and slammed his head against the locker. His friend told a teacher and I had already been on thin ice."

"Wow. That sucks, I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"It is what it is. Anyway though I wasn't exactly excited to be at Forks High I realized today how great it feels to finally be away from those two morons and the constant reminders of Sam. Almost everyone at the school knew what had happened, and even if they didn't say anything it sucked having almost everyone in the school look at me with pity. I was tired of being seen as the pathetic girl who couldn't live without her boyfriend"

I say the last part without thinking and then freeze, realizing the situation pretty much applies to Bella at this point. I look over at her and am relieved to see she does not look offended. She takes off her seatbelt and turns towards me.

"Would you like to come in for a bit, Leah?"

I definitely did not expect that but I nod and follow her inside the house. She offers me a glass of water and we both sit down on the couch in her living room. I am still thrown off by the fact that she invited me into her house and I don't really know what to say. Luckily I am saved from having to figure it out as she starts speaking.

"I met Edward when I first moved here and we were both immediately drawn to each other. I started dating him and became close with his entire family. His sister Alice was my closest friend after Angela, and his parents treated me like one of their own children. Edward and I talked about spending our lives together. When he broke up with me last week it felt like it came out of nowhere, and his entire family moved away without even saying goodbye."

She stops talking for a second but I can sense that she has more to say so I stay silent. She takes a sip of her water before continuing.

"I felt like my world had ended. I've practically been a zombie since that moment. But hearing your story made me realize that I don't want to be that girl either. The kind that can't live without her boyfriend. I was never that sort of girl before I met Edward and I refuse to let myself be now that he is gone."

"Does this mean you'll actually talk to me in class tomorrow?" I tease. The moment seems a bit too heavy considering we just met so I feel the need to interject some humour to lighten the mood. I think it works because Bella smiles at me before replying.

"Well I guess since we're stuck with each other I have no choice."

* * *

**This is as much as I have already written. Please review - I will continue if there is interest.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is a pretty short chapter to get things moving along. I promise the next one will be longer and more eventful!**

* * *

I am actually looking forward to going to school today and no one is more shocked about that than I am. When I got back home yesterday and my mom asked how my day went I could tell she was bracing herself for an angry rant. So when I smiled and told her I had a great day she nearly fell out of her chair in surprise. Seth made a joke about me possibly being on drugs and my dad glared at him and then told me he was glad I liked my new school. Seeing how happy my family was last night made me feel bad that I had been bringing down the mood around the house for the past year. I decided that I would make more of an effort to keep my moods in check around my family.

While I drive to Bella's house to pick up her up for school I think about the time I spent there yesterday after school. After I defused the overly serious moment we talked for another couple hours. She told me about her life in Phoenix, her mom and Phil, and about how she felt moving to Forks. She mentioned her dad is the Chief of Police in Forks which lead me make the connection that she was Charlie Swan's daughter. I don't know why I didn't realize it before, Charlie is good friends with my dad and comes over often to go fishing or just to eat my dad's famous fish fry. We both thought it was funny that our dads are such good friends but for some reason we have never met.

The way Bella acted yesterday seemed like a total 180 from how she had been at school but I think it was probably closer to who she was before her ex split. I am interested to see how today will go now that she seems to have snapped out of her funk. I texted her when I was leaving my house so by the time I get there she is already standing outside and waiting for me. She smiles at me as I pull into the driveway and makes her way to the passenger's side to get in my car.

"Good morning Leah, thank you so much for picking me up."

"Seriously no problem. Your place is actually along my regular route to school."

"Well now I know who to call whenever I need a ride."

Neither of us speak for the rest of the ride but the radio is playing and it doesn't feel awkward. We are a little early since I wasn't sure how long it would take me to pick Bella up so the parking lot is fairly empty. I pull into a spot right next to Bella's truck so that I can give her a jump after school without too much trouble. Bella starts to speak after we are both out of the car and heading towards our classroom.

"So when my dad got home he asked how my day was and I told him that you gave me a ride home and we hung out. After he got over the shock of me speaking in full sentences he said he had heard you were going to be attending Forks High but forgot to tell me to look out for you so he's glad we ran into each other."

"That's nice. I completely forgot to tell me dad about hanging out with you."

"Really? I'm that forgettable? Thanks a lot Leah."

Bella bumps my shoulder playfully as we walk into the classroom. Although her smile isn't especially wide it actually reaches her eyes and I can't help but think she looks much prettier when she isn't being a total zombie. We talk about our favorite books until class starts and then we don't have a chance to say much more as the teacher has us spend the entire class working on a writing prompt. Math and chemistry are uneventful as I do my best to pay attention and take notes the entire time. I did not get the best grades last year because I was busy being a delinquent but I am determined to make up for it this year.

Spanish class is fun because the teacher has us do a lot of partner work and I get to pair up with Ben. We walk over to the cafeteria together and by the time we reach the table everyone is already there. Angela is sitting across from Bella today and Ben slides in next to his girlfriend while I take a seat next to Bella. They nod in acknowledgement as they continue their conversation about something that happened in their math class just before lunch. I can tell Angela is happy about Bella being back to what I assume is normal and as Ben takes in their conversation he also seems relieved that she is doing better. Eric, Jessica, and Mike are having a heated conversation on the other side of the table and I don't care enough to find out what it is about. As I sit in the cafeteria and converse with Angela, Ben, and Bella I feel incredibly thankful for the events that led to me attending Forks High.

* * *

Over the next few weeks I grow much closer to Ben, Angela, Bella, and even Eric. Mike and Jessica drift apart from the group; they start to hang out with a boy named Tyler Crowley and a girl named Lauren Mallory who is in our gym class and seems to harbor a deep hatred for Bella. Ben and I go over to each other's houses at least once a week to play video games and hang out. Luckily Angela is not the jealous type and even mentions being glad we do this because it gets it out of Ben's system and he doesn't force her to play video games with him anymore. Plus I think her and Bella get together when Ben and I are hanging out so it works out for the best. Ben gets along really well with my brother Seth who is a few years younger than me and my mom likes him because he is always complimenting her cooking when she makes us snacks. Angela and I only really hang out when it's with the entire group but she is always really nice to me and I really enjoy her company.

Out of everyone I would say I spend the most time hanging out with Bella. I drive her to school almost every day and she thanks me by having coffee for me in the mornings and making us snacks in the afternoon when I drop her off. On the days I am not hanging out with Ben or I don't have a therapy session in Port Angeles I usually spend a couple hours at her house after school. We do our homework together which is nice because she helps me with my chemistry work and I help her with her math. Sometimes we'll cook dinner together and I will stay to eat with her and Charlie, who likes me because I'll talk to him about baseball. I also think he attributes Bella's quick recovery from Edward's abandonment to our friendship.

We have talked more about her relationship with Edward but for some reason it always feels as though she's holding back or leaving something out when we talk about the Cullens. I don't push because I'm sure it's hard for her but I can't help but be a little curious. It is a little awkward the first time she comes over to my house because for some reason my dad knows she used to date one of the Cullen kids. Bella spends a lot of time at my house on the weekends and there's always a weird tension between the two of them as if they have some feud that the rest of us don't know about, though they both deny anything being amiss. She gets along great with Seth and is absolutely adored by my mom. Bella will help my mom cook when she comes over for lunch or dinner and once I even caught them on the phone together exchanging recipes.

For the first time in months my life feels like it is getting back to normal. I am happy, I hardly ever think about Sam and Emily, and I haven't had a violent outburst since school started. All in all things are looking up for Leah Clearwater. Despite how great everything is going there is a small part of me that feels like something is going to come along to wreck all of it. I do my best to ignore that part of me but it isn't long before my fears are realized.

* * *

**Thank you to those of you who reviewed, favorited, or followed. Things will start getting a bit more interesting in the next chapter (hopefully). Please let me know what you think - reviews let me know that people are reading/interested and they inspire me to write more and update faster. Plus I am a new writer and there is a lot of room for improvement so I would really love feedback on what you like and what could be better.**


	4. Chapter 4

I wrap my hair in a towel as I step out of the shower, wrapping a second towel around my body before I walk out of my bathroom and into my room. Stepping in front of the floor length mirror I let the towel drop as I look at myself in the mirror. My legs are longer than I remember them being, which makes sense since I have unexpectedly grown a few inches in the last couple weeks. I find this late growth spurt pretty annoying because all my clothes don't fit me as well now and I don't want to buy any more until I am sure I am done growing. My jeans no longer cover my ankles and my t-shirts are so short on me that every time I raise my arms I end up exposing a bit of my stomach.

Thinking about that I run a hand along the defined abs I seem to have sprouted out of nowhere. In fact my entire body seems a bit more muscular and toned than it has ever been, even though I haven't been doing anything different in terms of exercise or diet. Actually I have been eating more than usual lately and my mom keeps telling me that if I keep it up I'll start growing outward instead of upward. I can't help it though, I have been feeling very hungry and I get moody when I'm hungry.

Though to be honest I've started to be moody all the time, regardless of my hunger. I almost hit Lauren Mallory in the locker room after gym class yesterday. Bella is not the most coordinated girl (and that's putting it nicely) so she usually has a few mishaps in gym class. Lauren was making fun of her because she had fallen on her ass while trying to do a lay-up. I laughed at her about it when it happened (after making sure she was okay) but when Lauren did it she was being malicious and all of a sudden I was seeing red. Luckily Bella stepped in front of me when she saw me tense up and start lunging for Lauren, but I ended up stumbling into Bella before I could stop myself and we ended up on the floor. Lauren made even more fun of us for that but Bella grabbed my arm as we stood back up and I managed to resist throttling her. I was lucky Bella was there to stop me, she knows I have a behavior contract and can't afford to get into even a little bit of trouble. Still, it was too close a call for me not to be a bit worried about it.

"Leah, breakfast is ready. Come join us!"

My mom's voice from the other side of the door breaks me out of my thoughts and I quickly get dressed in a t-shirt and some sweatpants, sighing as I notice that they don't even come close to reaching my ankles. This puts me in a bad mood as I walk out to join my family for breakfast. Seth is going to Seattle with a friend this weekend and won't be back until Sunday night so my mom decided to move our weekly family breakfast to Saturday. They all immediately notice my mood when I get to the table and I can sense that they are extra careful not to say anything to set me off. I feel bad that my family has had to bear the brunt of my mood swings, especially after the promise I made to myself a few weeks ago. Breakfast almost passes without incident until my mom asks me about Bella. My father makes a face when he hears her name and I explode.

"Seriously dad! What is your problem with Bella?!" My mother and Seth both wince had how loud I am being but I don't care. "She has been nothing but nice to you every time she comes here, I don't understand why you hate her so much!"

"Leah dear," my mom chimes in, speaking in a calm voice. "Of course your dad doesn't hate Bella. I know you've been feeling a little moody lately but that is no reason to speak to you father like that."

"Don't blame this on me feeling 'moody' because we both know it is more than that. It's fairly obvious dad has some weird issue with Bella and I'm sick of it."

I push my chair away from the table and storm out to the backyard, slamming the door behind me. I am trembling with anger at this point and I barely pay attention as I hear my parents send Seth off before they both come out to the backyard. There is a part of my brain that knows I am overreacting but it is overpowered by the intense anger I am feeling.

"Now listen here young lady," my mom is now speaking in a stern voice. "We have been more than accommodating with everything you've been through and your mood swings but enough is enough."

I open my mouth to spit out an angry retort but all that comes out is a scream as I suddenly feel as though my entire body is on fire and my bones are about to burst out of my own skin. In a flash the pain is gone and I can't hear myself screaming anymore, all I hear is an earsplitting howling sound. It feels as though I am watching through someone else's eyes as my mother screams while staring in my direction and my father gasps and falls over, clutching his chest. My thoughts are jumbled and it feels like there are other voices in my head saying my name in surprise. My mom is kneeling next to my father, shaking him and crying. Everything feels terribly wrong.

* * *

I am still in shock as I pull on a t-shirt and some sweatpants for the second time today - my previous outfit has been reduced to bits of fabric spread around our backyard. Sam showed up a few minutes after everything went wrong. Except I didn't immediately realize it was Sam because all I saw was a giant black wolf. He used his Alpha voice to get me to stop freaking out and I saw Paul and Jared round the corner, shirtless and looking as though they were just finishing pulling on their shorts. They stayed with my mom as Sam led me into the forest so we would be out of sight when the ambulance arrived.

He explained what was going on through the telepathic connection I somehow had with him now and I saw what I looked like through his eyes. I was a wolf like Sam, but smaller and with incredibly shaggy light grey fur. He showed me that it wasn't just the two of us - Paul, Jared, Quil Jr., Embry, and Jacob were all part of the pack. The tribe's legends were all real, the Cullens were actually Cold Ones and we were shape-shifters designed to kill their kind. He even showed me what happened with him when he first phased, why we broke up, how he felt when he imprinted on Emily. It was a lot to take in and it got even more complicated when Seth phased too.

I sigh as I sit at the edge of my bed, thinking about how distressed Seth's thoughts were when he phased. My father had a fatal cardiac arrest when he saw me phase and was pronounced dead almost immediately after the paramedics arrived. My mom called Seth home without telling him what had happened, wanting to do it in person. When he found out he ended up phasing too, and I found out that my father had died by hearing Seth's thoughts. It was all so messed up. I was the reason my father was dead.

I stand up and walk out to the living room before I can go any further down that path, everyone is out there waiting for me and I don't want someone to come to my room looking for me and find me crying in bed. It took Sam some time to calm me down enough for me to phase back, even Seth was able to phase back before I could. The rest of the pack is here along with the tribal elders. Emily is here too and she reaches for me, perhaps to hug me, but my automatic response is to pull away from her. She looks sad when I do it but doesn't try to do or say anything else as I walk past her to sit next to Seth. I can barely focus as the elders talk to us, going into detail about the legends and the history behind shape-shifting in our tribe. Apparently I am the first female shape-shifter in the history of our tribe. My father knew about shifters but likely wasn't expecting his _daughter_ to shift and his weak heart could not take the shock when I did. I start to zone them out as I once more think about how I am responsible for my father's death and Sam notices.

"Lee-lee." I flinch at the nickname he gave me when we were dating and he notices. "Leah. I know this is hard for you with everything that's happened but it's important you know what is going on."

"Sam," this feels like the first time I've heard my mom speak since I phased. "It has been a long day and we have the funeral tomorrow morning. Can't everything else wait until after the funeral?" The look my mom gives him as she asks makes it clear that there is only one correct answer.

"You're right Sue. I apologize." Then he turns to me. "There is one thing I need to be sure you're clear about before I leave. The Swan girl, I hear you two are friends. You may be tempted to talk to her about this since she was close to the Cullens and may even know about them, however you are not to speak to her about this."

I am too tired to protest and honestly I don't even know that I want to. I think back to my father and his attitude towards Bella. He knew what the Cullens were and he must have figured Bella did too and that she dated Edward despite knowing. I shudder at the thought of Bella dating a _vampire_ who could have drained her without a second thought. Apparently the Cullens only drink from animals but it still seems like risky business and I hate to think of her in danger. Anyway the Cullens are gone so there is no reason to talk to her about that and I definitely don't want to tell her how I killed my own father by being a freak. I nod at Sam and head back to my room without another word.

* * *

My father was a tribal elder and it seems like everyone in La Push shows up for the funeral. After the burial everything is a blur of handshakes and condolences that all sound the same. I am surprised to see Ben, Angela, and Eric but they tell me that Bella called and told them. I suppose that makes sense, she would have found out through Charlie. All three of them give me hugs and offer their condolences before moving off to the side to let other people talk to me. Soon after they walk away Charlie comes up and wraps me in a big bear hug. He doesn't say anything but I appreciate his presence. After a minute he moves away and I watch him as he heads towards Seth and gives him a hug as well.

I smell lavender and honey drifting towards me and realize someone is walking my way, someone that smells amazing. I turn to find Bella standing in front of me, I meet her gaze and all of a sudden my world stops. It is as if gravity shifts, she is the new center of my world and I find myself falling into her chocolate brown eyes. In this moment I know with absolute certainty that Bella Swan is the most important person to ever exist and that I will do anything in my power to make her happy. I have always thought Bella was pretty but somehow I failed to realize until this moment that she is the most beautiful person that I have ever laid eyes on. Of course Bella has no idea that I have just imprinted on her when she pulls me in for a hug.

All the emotions running through me are too overwhelming and as Bella finally gets her arms around me I start sobbing uncontrollably into her hair. She rubs my back soothingly as she gently guides me over to a nearby bench and I bury my face into her neck as soon as we are sitting down. I cling tightly to her as she strokes her fingers through my hair, silently trying to comfort me. I do not know how long we sit like that but eventually my uncontrollable sobs fade into silent tears.

"Leah," Bella says gently. It is the first time I've heard her speak since phasing and I don't know if her voice sounds so heavenly because of my improved senses or the imprint. I don't really care.

"Sorry," I mumble sheepishly as I finally get up and untangle myself from her. I notice that the collar of her shirt is soaked in my tears. "I ruined your shirt."

"Don't be ridiculous," she says in a soft voice. She looks like she's about to say something else but then stops herself. When she finally speaks she is looking at something over my shoulder. "It looks like your mom and brother are getting ready to head back to your house. Do you want to go with them?"

"Will you take me?"

"Of course. Just let me tell my dad."

The panic I felt at the thought of going home and not having her by my side vanishes, replaced by happiness at knowing she will be with me. This is followed by an intense feeling of guilt. How could I imprint on someone at my own father's funeral? This funeral wouldn't even be happening if it wasn't for me and here I am obsessing over Bella. This is all kinds of fucked up. I'm all kinds of fucked up.

Bella is coming towards me again and as she grabs my hand all other thoughts disappear from my head. She was able to calm me down even before I phased and imprinted on her, but now it is like her touch brings me instant peace. I still feel incredibly sad about my father but the feelings of guilt and anger have left me and the grief feels manageable. My mom is getting into a car with Sam and I see Seth look around before finding me. Bella holds up our joined hands and gives him a nod to indicate she will get me home and he nods back at her before getting into the car with my mom. Bella leads me to where her truck is parked and we drive over to my house in silence.

* * *

**I hope you all found this chapter more interesting. Let me know what you think so far!**

**Also thanks to those of you who reviewed, you are all the reason I was motivated to get this update out so fast.**


	5. Chapter 5

When we get to my house Bella walks me inside and Sam gives her a wary look the second he sees her but does not say anything. My mom gives me a hug as soon as I walk through the door, holding onto me for a few minutes without saying anything. Seth finally pulls her away to make sure she eats since she hasn't had anything all day. Emily is in the kitchen preparing food for everyone that is at the house. Sam walks up to her to grab some food and I am surprised to notice that I am not as hurt by seeing the two of them together as I usually am. I still feel betrayed by Emily but I realize that I am completely over Sam.

I look around for Bella and see that she is sitting with my mother and Seth as the two of them eat. Despite the situation I can't help but I smile at the sight of my imprint being so sweet to my family. All of a sudden I feel Sam's strong grip on my arm as he pulls me to the corner of the kitchen where no one can overhear us.

"You imprinted on Bella." It is more of a statement than a question but he still waits for me to reply.

"It's not like I wanted it to happen. Especially not like this. It just happened when I looked at her."

"I know what you mean." He smiles bitterly and for a second I almost feel bad for him. It passes. "This changes things Leah. You are entitled to tell your imprint everything. However I recommend you wait until later. We can discuss the best way to tell her, I have some thoughts. And this may not be the best time..."

"Of course it's not the best time!" I cut him off in anger. "I couldn't control imprinting right now but at the moment I am not overly concerned about what I am going to tell Bella or what you think about all of this. In case you haven't noticed Sam, my father just died and I don't really need you getting my face about this shit right now!"

By the end of my last sentence I am speaking so loudly that everyone in the kitchen can hear me. Sam walks away from me and Emily walks over to him, I look away from them to see Bella staring at me with concern. She glances towards Sam and Emily then back at me and I see the realization in her eyes as she figures out exactly who Sam is. She politely excuses herself to walk towards where I am standing with my hands shaking in anger.

"Wanna get out of here?"

We end up in my room, sitting on my bed in silence. We are sitting so close to each other that our legs are pressed together and Bella has one of arms wrapped around my shoulders. After a few minutes she starts starts talking. I don't look up from my lap as she speaks.

"You should know that I am not good at this sort of stuff, but I care about you deeply and I will be here for you in anyway I can. Just let me know what I can do and I will do it."

"Can you just stay here with me for a while?"

Normally I would hate how pathetic I sound as I say this but there is a voice inside my head telling me that it is okay for me to be vulnerable in front of my imprint. She nods and repositions herself so that she is sitting against my headboard with her legs spread out in front of her on my bed. She tugs my arm to indicate she wants me to move beside her so I do and she gently guides my head to her shoulder and wraps her arms around me. Although she is a few inches shorter than me and a great deal weaker I have never before felt as safe as I do in her arms.

* * *

When I wake up it is just starting to get light out and I am by myself. There is a blanket thrown over me and a note sitting next to me in bed. I pick it up and read it.

_Leah,_

_I am sorry for not saying goodbye, you've been sleeping pretty soundly for a while now and I don't want to disturb you but I have to leave. I will be back tomorrow after school. By the way I let your mom know you were feeling a bit feverish yesterday and she said she would give you something for it when you woke up so please remind her._

_Love,_

_Bella_

For a second I am confused by the last part since I don't feel at all sick. Then I remember what Sam said about my natural body temperature being warmer now. Bella must have felt it and assumed I had a fever. I find her concern touching and am glad that she is going to be coming back today because I already miss her. I trace my finger over the word "love," though I know it means something different for her. Hell, less than 24 hours ago it would have meant the same to both of us. Part of me thinks that maybe we were headed in this direction anyway, though that may just have been me. I could have ended up in love with Bella without an imprint and maybe Bella would have loved me back. It wouldn't have been this fast though, we would have had to work up to it. As much as I want to be with Bella it doesn't feel right to try to fast forward through all of that.

I hop in the shower before heading out to the kitchen, deciding to prepare breakfast for my mom and brother. However when I get to the kitchen I find that Emily is in there frying up some eggs as my mom sits at the table. I ignore Emily and walk over to my mom, hugging her as I sit beside her. Seth stumbles tiredly out of his room a while later and greets Emily before coming to sit next to me at the table. Soon Emily places a giant plate of eggs and another giant plate of bacon in front of us at the table. She also grabs a plate stacked high with pancakes and four empty plates for us to eat off of. We are all quiet as we eat and when we are done Seth and I do the dishes while Emily sits with my mom in the living room.

Throughout the morning many people come by to see us and a lot of them bring food. While my mom is talking to some people who have come by Emily corners me in the kitchen. She gives me a friendly smile as she says.

"Sam told me you imprinted."

Of course Sam went and told his precious fiancé the first chance he got. I wonder why exactly Emily is talking to me about this as though we are friends.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well I just thought that might change things between us."

Ahh. She must realize that me finding my imprint means that I am completely over Sam and she thinks that it also means the two of us are okay. She thinks that now that I know about imprints and have imprinted myself I can understand and forgive her betrayal.

"Listen closely Emily because I don't want to have this conversation again. We are not okay. Just because I understand why Sam broke up with me does not mean that I forgive you for what you did. He is the one that imprinted and couldn't fight it. You have no excuse for your actions."

Emily looks disappointed at my response but presses on.

"Leah, the imprint works both ways. I may not feel it as strongly as Sam but I was drawn to him the second he imprinted on me. You'll see...Bella will feel the same way. She may not understand it yet but when you tell her it will make sense to her and she won't be able to fight it either."

"You just don't get it do you? I'm not angry about you not turning Sam away. I was bitter about that for a long time but that is not why we're not going to be okay. I can forgive you for that. What I can't forgive is the fact that I had to find out from someone else. I can't forgive the fact that you lied to me when I first asked you if anything was going on. Finding out about wolves and imprints doesn't change any of that Emily. You may not have had a choice when it came to the imprint but you definitely did when it came to telling me about your relationship. You chose to hide it and then you chose to lie about it. Cousin or not, I don't need friends like that in my life."

I walk away from her and decide to hole up in my room until Bella arrives. It isn't long before I smell lavender and honey floating towards me and I walk over to my window to see Bella walking towards the door. Before I turn away from the window to go meet her another smell hits me and this one is not as pleasant. The smell is sickly sweet, a mix of flowers and rotting corpses. I know this smell from Sam's memories. The Cullens are back.

The smell or maybe just the thought of the Cullens having returned, of _Edward_ being back, makes me angry. I throw open my window and jump out just before I phase, luckily Bella has already gone inside the house and I run for the nearby forest. As I run I find that Quil Jr. is also phased, making rounds and I reach out to him.

_Quil, the Cullens are back in town._

_Shit Leah, it's weird to hear you in here. Wait did you just say the Cullens are back?_

I share the memory of smelling the Cullens on Bella and he runs off to tell Sam, I feel him phase back. I stay in the forest for a little longer to calm down before I can sneak back towards the house. As I'm out there I catch a glimpse of how shaggy my fur is and realize I am going to have to chop off my hair. Finally, when I am calm enough I head towards the house and phase when I reach my window, quickly climbing through it. This is only the second time I have phased and the feeling of being naked when I phase back is disconcerting. I notice that my door is slightly open, someone must have come to find me when Bella arrived. I quickly go over and shut it before getting dressed. Scraps of the clothes I was wearing are on the floor near my window. I need to figure out this phasing thing so I don't destroy all the clothes I have. It probably wouldn't hurt to start hiding some stuff out in the forest so I don't get caught naked.

I walk out into the kitchen and see Bella helping Emily clean in the kitchen while my mom and Seth sit with Old Quil and Billy Black in the living room. Sam walks in the door before I can get Bella's attention, Quil coming in right after him. As soon as he's inside he stops and sniffs the air, he snarls and I assume he has caught the Cullen's scent.

"Leah," he barks out. Bella turns around when she hears my name and is shocked to see me standing a few feet away from her. "I need to talk to you."

I shoot Bella an apologetic look as she watches me follow Sam outside. I notice that Quil walks over to greet everyone in the living room rather than come with us. Sam and I walk in silence for a few minutes before he stops and turns to look at me.

"I assume you haven't talked to Bella yet?" I shake my head and he continues. "Tell her tonight. I came here to make sure you were smelling the Cullens because Quil caught the scent of another vampire when he was making his rounds, an unfamiliar one. Bella does smell like the Cullens, the tiny girl to be exact, but there is another leech here that could be dangerous. Telling Bella will make it easier for us to protect your imprint. If the Cullens are back we can't protect her in Forks without their permission, that's their territory."

"I will tell her about the werewolf thing but I am not telling her about the imprint." Sam looks surprised at this. "I don't want this to be like you and Emily, where I tell her it's fate and then just wear her down until she agrees to be with me. Yeah I know Emily felt the imprint too but that's not the point. I want Bella to decide to be with me on her own terms and telling her about the imprint takes some of her choice away."

"Alright," Sam made a pained face when I mentioned him and Emily but by the time I finish speaking his face is blank. "Tell her about the pack today and let her know about the unfamiliar vampire. She can ask the Cullens if they know anything. Oh and ask her which of the Cullens have returned. We are meeting tonight for a pack meeting, 9 at my place. We need to talk about increasing patrols. You are welcome to bring Bella, I will let the others know not to mention the imprint."

I can sense this is the end of our conversation so I walk away from him to head towards the house, eager to get back to Bella.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, favoriting, and following. You all have me ignoring my other stories to focus on this one :) Seriously, I appreciate every review - they are like steroids for my writing. I am already halfway through the next chapter. **

**I try to post as soon as I am done rather than space them out. I do look over it for grammar and spelling issues but posting so quickly may mean I miss something, don't be afraid to let me know if you find any errors. Also if you would prefer that I do more scheduled updates instead of what I'm doing now let me know, and I can switch to spreading out my updates (probably can't guarantee any quicker than a chapter a week).**


	6. Chapter 6

Bella and I are walking through the forest near my house together. The sun will be setting soon and I want to show her while it is still light out. When I got back to the house she had been talking with my mom about a new recipe she had found, promising to come over on Friday and make it for us. I feel truly awful for my mom, she and my dad had been together for so long, I can't imagine how it feels to lose him. We had known that he had heart problems and I think my mom was aware that something like this could happen but you can never really be prepared for someone close to you to die. Still she is doing her best to be strong for Seth and me and I really admire that.

I sat next to Bella to listen to the two of them and she had absentmindedly grabbed my hand when I sat next to her, causing my heart to flutter and Seth to give me a teasing look when no one was looking. She had expressed concern over me still feeling hot to touch but my mom assured her I had taken medicine and was fine. After dinner I asked Bella to come with me on a walk and here we are. I haven't spoken to her since we've left the house and I am grateful to her for letting me take my time. Finally we reach a small creek with a log nearby that makes a perfect bench and I have her sit down with me.

"Bella, I have to tell you something and it's going to seem weird so I need you to keep an open mind."

"I will." She can tell I'm nervous so she nods and puts her hand on my knee in a reassuring way.

"Okay," I take a deep breath before continuing. "I guess the best way to do this is actually just to show you. I'm going to do something now and I need to you to stay calm, I promise you're not in any danger."

"Leah, you're starting to freak me out." Bella looks a little uncertain as I move to stand in front of her. I kneel down so that I am looking her in the eye.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then just watch," I say as I pull of my shirt and shorts, casting them aside to slip on later. I figure the best way to do this is to phase in front of her and I need to have something to put on when I change back.

She is looking at me skeptically as I stand there in my black lace panties and matching bra. I notice her eyes trail a path from my chest, past my flat stomach, and down my toned legs before she looks back up at me, blushing a little. I am too nervous to tease her about it as I step backwards to give myself room.

"Remember, stay calm. I would never hurt you."

Before she has a chance to reply I am phasing. I didn't think it would happen this quickly since it's my first time doing it on purpose but it is remarkable easy. Her eyes widen in shock as she stares at me, and I slowly move towards her, keeping my head close to the ground and trying to seem as harmless as possible. To her credit she does not try to move away as I reach her and gently nudge her leg with my muzzle.

"Leah?" She whispers as she cautiously reaches out to run her hand through my fur. Her fingers get tangled in my ridiculously shaggy mane and I think once more about how I need to chop my hair. I bob my head up and down in reply and she smiles in awe. "So your tribe legends are real?"

I am impressed that Bella makes the connection between this and the legends I mentioned to her weeks ago with little trouble. I am filled with a sense of pride at how intelligent my imprint is and I purr as she continues to stroke my fur. I realize that we should talk now so I reluctantly pull away from her and head towards my clothes. Then I realize I have no way of telling Bella to turn around and I don't trust myself enough just yet to be able to pick the clothes up in my mouth and carry them away without biting through them. I look down at my clothes and then up at Bella and thankfully she seems to understand because she stands up and turns around. I phase back, feeling oddly nervous about being naked in Bella's presence even though she is turned around. I quickly pull on my clothes.

"You can turn back around now. Thanks."

"Wow," Bella sighs as she turns back around and flops back down on the log. "Definitely did not see that coming."

"Neither did my dad." I let out a bitter chuckle as I sit down next to her. "The shock at seeing me is what killed him. I killed him." It is the first time I have said this out loud and I am relieved to have it off my chest. "I didn't know about any of this at the time, I was just so angry. You know how short my temper has been lately. One minute we were fighting and the next minute I phased and he was clutching his chest."

"Leah, you can't blame yourself." Bella murmurs as she takes my hand. "He had a weak heart and you didn't do it on purpose."

"I know, but if I hadn't been fighting with them…"

"Don't do this to yourself Leah. You didn't know, there was nothing you could have done. From what your mom tells me the doctors said it was only a matter of time before something like that happened. I know it's not exactly comforting to know, but there is nothing you could have done."

She's right, it isn't comforting to know that there was no way to prevent my father's death. I squeeze her hand, careful not to do so too tightly, and then try to clear my head. There is still more that I need to talk with her about and getting too emotional right now would distract me. I release her hand and turn my body to face her as I continue telling her about the pack. I explain that Sam was the first to phase and there are eight of us all together. I tell her about my above average body temperature and my new senses. I even explain that my fur is so shaggy because it's related to the length of my hair and I will probably be dealing with that soon. I don't bring up the Cullens because I am unsure how to broach the subject. I feel like she must know the truth about them but I can't be totally sure. Finally Bella gives me the perfect opening.

"Why now? What happened to make everyone start changing?"

Either she doesn't remember the part about the Cold Ones, she hasn't associated it with the Cullens, or she doesn't know that what the Cullens are. Whatever the reason is, this is the perfect opening for me to start talking about it.

"Do you remember how in the legends the wolves were protectors against something called the Cold Ones?" I see a flicker of recognition in her eyes and then all of a sudden her face lights up with understanding. She knows.

"The Cullens…" she whispers.

"The Cullens," I confirm. "So you know."

"I figured it out a while back, a little after I first met Edward."

"That makes this easier to explain then." I try to keep things positive and not fixate on how dangerous Bella's relationship with Edward had been. "The Cullens moving back last year started the process. It must have started effecting Seth and I before they moved away even though we didn't phase until after they were gone. Though I suppose it would have happened eventually now that they're back."

"How did you know? Alice just came back last night."

"I could smell her on you." I make a face as I say this and she self-consciously sniffs her shirt. "You don't smell bad Bella, you actually smell quite nice. It's just the Cullens smell awful to us and she must have gotten a bit of her scent on you. Are all of them back?"

"No, just Alice. She says that she had been checking on me occasionally to see how I was doing and then yesterday morning my future disappeared." I give her a puzzled look and she explains. "Some of the Cullens have special powers. Jasper can control emotions. Edward reads minds. And Alice has visions of the future."

"Damn, we definitely did not know all of that. Also how could you stand dating someone that could read your mind?" The second I ask that I wince, not knowing how she will react to me bringing up her relationship with Edward. I am surprised when she smiles.

"Edward can't read my mind for some reason and that has always been a huge relief. No one really knew why but Alice and Jasper's powers worked on me just fine. So when Alice saw my future disappear she rushed back, thinking I was in great danger."

"Did she figure out why your future disappeared?"

"No, she said it was strange. She couldn't even see a few minutes into my future even though I was obviously not in any danger when I was with her." I scoff at this, I learned enough from Sam to know that Bella being around vampires meant she was in constant danger. Bella ignores my reaction as she continues. "She told Rosalie what happened before leaving and she says that Edward and the rest of the family have decided to come back to Forks to make sure I am okay."

Even though I had known that Edward returning was a possibility it hurts to hear it. Bella said herself that they had been drawn to each other, what if I can't compete with whatever vampire lure he has? What if he steals my imprint away before I even get a chance to tell her how I feel? I decide not to focus too much on that until I know more. Maybe she won't take him back.

"I have some news you may want to share with them Bella. Quil was patrolling earlier today and he caught the scent of a vampire, one that isn't a Cullen. It was just one incident but Sam has called a pack meeting tonight to increase patrols. He told me to tell you to pass on the information to the Cullens, I assume you'll see them soon?"

I try to keep the emotion out of my voice as I ask her. I know she said she was friends with Alice and some of the other Cullens but all I can think about is her getting back together with Edward. I have no idea how she feels about him right now or what she is thinking about him coming back, her face betrays nothing.

"Alice is spending the night tonight, she's still really worried about not being able to see my future. I can tell her tonight."

"Great, I will let Sam know. I assume he will want to talk to them at some point, maybe when they are all back."

Bella nods and I can tell she looks a little tired, she must not have gotten much sleep if Alice visited her very late at night. I stand up and she follows my lead as I head back towards the house.

"It's getting late and I have to meet the pack. Will you be okay to drive home?"

"I should be fine. I'll text you when I get home. And I will be by again tomorrow if that's okay?"

"I'd like that," I smile as I say this. "I think tomorrow will be my last stay staying home from school."

"Are you sure Leah? There is no need to rush back if you want to stay home and be with your family. I'm sure everyone at the school understands."

"I know...I just can't handle sitting around at home. I think it'd be better for me to start getting back into my old routine."

"That makes sense," she replies as we reach her car. "Well I will see you tomorrow Leah."

She gives me a hug that does not last nearly as long as I would like it to and then gets in her car to drive away. As I walk into the house I sniff my shirt and groan, heading straight for the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

**Thank you for all the reviews...you all are awesome.**


	7. Chapter 7

After I get the vampire stink off me I change into some comfortable clothes and head for Sam's place with Seth, leaving my mom home with Emily. When we arrive the rest of the pack is already there lounging around Sam's kitchen. Quil, Embry, and Jacob smile at Seth and I as we grab two empty seats. Paul is glaring at me while Jared just looks bored and Sam's face is blank. Looking back I realize that when I slammed Paul's head into the lockers and he ran away it probably wasn't because he was a coward. He had been shaking so hard I thought he might be crying but now I am pretty sure that he was trembling in anger and he ran away to stop himself from phasing and mauling me. That day was probably the closest I've ever come to dying.

"Leah, did you get a chance to talk to Bella?"

I notice Quil and Embry exchange looks and smirk at each other when Sam says Bella's name. He must have told everyone about my imprint, though Quil also could have picked it up when I phased earlier today...I haven't quite figured out how much is transferred through the pack mind and how quickly. Maybe I'll look into that with Seth. Someone clears their throat and I realize everyone is staring at me and waiting for me to answer.

"Yeah. I told her about us and she already knew about the Cullens. Only Alice is here right now," I notice some of the members look confused so I clarify, "I believe she's the tiny dark-haired one. Bella says the rest are coming back soon though. I told her about the other bloodsucker and she said she'd pass it along. I mentioned you may want to talk to them once they're all here."

"You're right, I will. We need to make sure they are keeping an eye on Forks, we'll patrol our own land. For now you and Seth will shadow someone else from the pack. We will patrol in four hour shifts, someone out there at all times. Once I feel that you two are ready to patrol on your own everyone will have three hour shifts. So...who wants to adopt a pup?"

Sam smiles as he says asks and the rest of the pack chuckles. Embry stands and grabs Seth, pretending to look him over. Seth plays along, hoping up and down and panting.

"I guess I'll take this one," Embry says. "But only if he's house trained."

"I can help Leah out," Quil chimes in. I smile at him gratefully, for a second I was afraid no one would want to pair up with me and I would be stuck with Sam.

Quil and I take the early morning shift so we can be done before he goes to school, Seth and Embry get the evening shift. Jacob leaves immediately to start patrolling but the other boys stay where they are, starting to chat and joke around. Quil comes up to stand next to me and gives me a friendly grin.

"Usually there's also food at these things. Emily's been around since the beginning so she's used to cooking up enough to feed the pack. She has food ready for us almost all the time. You can pretty much come by here at any time and find a few of us hanging out."

"That's really cool. You all are like a big family."

"And we just adopted you and Seth. Welcome to the family."

* * *

While Quil and I are on patrol he teaches me a lot but we also spend time getting to know each other. I decide that I have to introduce him to Ben some time, I think they would both get along. Not only does he also like video games and comic books but he also has a similar sense of humour and he is just as sweet as Ben is. I find out from him that most of the other pack members are a bit wary of having a girl in the pack. I can understand that - I am a bit wary of being in the pack with all guys. Being naked after we phase plus the whole pack mind deal makes all of this pretty awkward.

Quil is pretty cool about it though and I am glad he is the person showing me the ropes. He does make fun of my fur and insist I come over to his place after our shift so his mom can cut my hair. I don't mind since I have been planning on getting it cut anyway and we both head over to his house after we hear Jared phase and tell us our shift is over. I have met his mom, Joy, a few times as La Push is not a very big place but this is the first time I have ever been to their house. She offers to cook us breakfast and although I decline she makes me a huge plate anyway and watches me to make sure I eat all of it. It seems all the women who have someone they care about in the pack have learned to make wolf-sized portions of food.

Quil asks her to cut my hair and then takes off for school. She sets up a chair for me in the living room, laying a sheet on the floor to catch the hair and bringing out a set of professional looking scissors. We chat pleasantly as she works and when she is finished the end result looks wonderful. My hair is short in the back barely reaching the top of my neck, but gets longer towards the front, with the hair framing my face falling a couple inches past my chin. It's perfect.

I thank her and help her clean up before heading back home where everyone is surprised by new hair but my mom assures me she likes it. I head to bed for a nap since I'm exhausted from the early morning patrol, and when I wake up I convince Seth to help me figure out some of the mysteries of the pack mind. By the time we head out to the backyard and phase it is Sam's shift and he chimes in every once in a while to answer our questions as he patrols. So far nobody has come across anything but he is going to keep us on high alert until he is sure the vampire is gone.

When Bella arrives Seth and I are still in wolf form, wrestling each other in the backyard. Seth is a tall, gangly wolf with fur the color of sand. It is an odd match-up because I am much more solid and muscular than him, I am assuming because he is so young. Although I have noticed that I am one of the biggest wolves in the pack, just barely smaller than Sam and Jacob. I also know that I am the fastest because Quil claims he was the fastest before I came along and I ran circles around him at patrol. When I notice she's on the back porch watching us I give an excited yelp, running over to her and rubbing my head against her legs in greeting. She laughs as the pats my head and then Seth's when he runs over to greet her as well. We both head to opposite sides of the forest where we each decided to hide clothes. By the time I get dressed and head back towards the porch Seth is already there. He just slipped on some shorts - I am jealous of the boys because all they have to worry about is shorts since they can walk around without shirts and no one says anything.

Bella smiles at me as I walk towards the two of them, giving me a hug when I get close enough. She doesn't have any vampire smell on her today and I smile as I breathe in her wonderful scent. When she pulls away she stays close as she runs her fingers through my shorter hair and it takes all my willpower not to pull her in and kiss her. She gently twirls a strand of my hair around her finger.

"I'm going to miss your beautiful long hair but this looks nice. And you certainly look a bit less silly as a wolf now, but still shaggy enough to be cute."

"What are you talking about? I am an absolutely vicious wolf."

I playfully snap at her finger with my teeth as I say this but she pulls it away and sticks her tongue out at me. I have the overwhelming urge to reach forward and capture that tongue with my mouth. I am beginning to wonder if I have the willpower to ignore this imprint after all but then I remember that I am doing this for Bella and I know I can resist for her sake. We head inside where my mom and Emily are working in the kitchen to prepare food. At some point this morning they both decided the pack could start hanging out here since Emily is staying with us for a while anyway and my mom would love to be kept busy by cooking for all the boys. Jared, Paul, Quil and Embry all walk in through the front door at the same time we come in from the back. They all greet Bella and I am relieved that none of them do anything to hint at the fact that I imprinted on her. As happy as I am that my mom has found something that will keep her busy I am not looking forward to my house being constantly filled with guests.

Seth joins the four of them while Bella and I head to my bedroom. She lets me know that she told Alice and that the rest of the Cullens are arriving later tonight and will want to meet with Sam sometime tomorrow night. After that we lay on my bed as she asks me to describe what it is like to be a wolf. I have a double bed so it is large enough for both of us lay comfortably without touching, but after I have been talking for a bit Bella shifts to stretch out and ends up throwing one of her legs over mine. I stumble over my words when I feel the weight of her leg on my thigh but recover quickly and continue talking. I know the gesture is innocent in Bella's mind, she probably just wanted to spread out a little and we are close enough that she didn't think I would care. When I am done telling her about being a wolf we both lay in silence while I gather the courage to ask her about Edward.

"So the rest of the Cullens coming back...how are you feeling about that?"

Bella sighs and moves to sit cross-legged next to me on the bed and I immediately miss the contact. I end up mirroring her position, watching her as she gathers her thoughts to answer my question.

"I am not sure. When they left all I wanted was for them to come back, I thought I couldn't live without them, without Edward. Thanks to you I realized that I didn't need Edward in my life. If I hadn't met you I don't know what I would have done." She grabs my hand as she says this, smiling at me gratefully. "When I saw Alice the other night I was so happy that she was back. I love Alice, she was one of my best friends. After I got over the initial joy though I felt pretty upset. Her and the others had abandoned me without even saying goodbye. At least Edward had the decency to break my heart in person."

"Bella we don't have to talk about this if it's too upsetting," I softly interject. Her voice has gotten louder and her face is reddening in anger. She just shakes her head and gives my hand a squeeze.

"No, it's okay. I want to tell you." She takes a few calming breaths before continuing. "I told Alice I was upset with her and she apologized. She told me none of them wanted to leave but Edward insisted. He told them it would be better for me if they left without saying anything. And he made Jasper feel so guilty about what had happened."

"What happened with Jasper?"

"Oh, it was silly really. I was at their house for a game night and we were playing charades. I got a paper cut from one of the slips of paper. Jaspers new to their diet and there was a scuffle. Edward tried to push me out of the way, only I ended up smashing into a mirror and cutting my arm even worse."

She releases my hand to pull up her sleeve and show me a few fresh scars on her arm, including one long jagged one that must have resulted from a deep cut. I feel myself start to get furious at the thought of my imprint being in that sort of danger and my hands start shaking as I try to calm my breathing. Bella notices how angry I am getting and gently rubs one of my shoulders, asking if I am okay. The contact and the sound of her voice help me calm down.

"Sorry," I say. "I just don't like the thought of you being in that sort of danger. Bleeding in a house full of vampires."

"Oh I was never in any danger," Bella remarks. Never in any danger? This girl has no regard for her own safety. "Edward made it worse by being so dramatic. Jasper wouldn't have done anything, and the rest of them could easily have stopped him if he tried. Anyway it was my fault for being so accident prone. After that Edward said it was too dangerous and I needed a chance at a normal human life. He told me he had made a mistake thinking he could ever be happy with a human and I would never hear from them again. Then I guess he forced everyone else to leave. So it's really just Edward that I am upset with, the rest of the Cullens I will be happy to see."

She leave soon after that conversation and I end up thinking about what she said all night. I am relieved that it is Edward she is upset with although I am still worried about her safety with the rest of the Cullens. Thinking about Edward leaving because he claimed to know what was best for her is what really gets me...Bella is her own person and can decide for herself what she thinks is best. As soon as I think that I realize that I have been acting a little like Edward myself and I resolve to fix that tomorrow. I am going to tell Bella about the imprint.


	8. Chapter 8

I have been a nervous mess all day and I think Bella has noticed, even if she doesn't know exactly what is wrong. When I picked her up this morning and she handed me the travel mug she usually makes me coffee in I almost dropped it because my hands were so shaky. I couldn't really concentrate in any of my classes and every time Bella talked to me or touched me I would start stuttering like a schoolboy with a crush. We are pulling into her driveway now after a silent drive from school. I can feel my palms getting sweaty as we walk into her living room and she collapses on one end of the couch. I sit at the other end and try to gather my courage, but before I can she starts speaking.

"I saw Edward yesterday."

After I started stressing about telling her about the imprint I completely forgot the Cullens were coming back. I feel like an ass for not asking her about it earlier, but I suppose she probably wouldn't have wanted to talk about it at school anyway.

"How did that go?" I ask.

"He tried to act like he wasn't a total prick for leaving me. When I let him know I was mad at him he apologized. He said when Rosalie told him about my future disappearing he realized he had made a huge mistake. That he could not imagine his life without me. He wanted me to take him back."

"Oh," I say glumly. "So are you going to take him back?"

"Of course not!" Bella has an incredulous look on her face at my question. "I know it seems like I was obsessed with him judging by how I was acting before you snapped me out of it, but looking back I think I liked the idea of Edward more than Edward himself. Actually Edward himself was kind of creepy the more I think about it."

"How did he take the rejection?" I am relieved to hear that she turned him down but I know if I were in his position I would do everything in my power to win her back. Though I would never be in his position because I'm not enough of an idiot to break up with Bella.

"Not well. At first he just didn't accept it, he thinks we are destined to be together. Then when I made it clear that I had no interest in being with him he asked if there was someone else. I told him there might be but that is not why I am rejecting him. He just got angry at that point, wanting to know who the other guy was. Alice stepped in and drove me back home."

"So who is the other person? I didn't know there was anyone else…" I manage to say this without revealing how devastated I am. The whole time I was worried about Edward I hadn't even entertained the possibility that Bella may have moved on with someone different.

"Well," she starts, "I didn't even realize there was someone else until I was talking to Edward. And I don't know if they feel the same way."

"A person would have to be an absolute idiot not to return your feelings Bella."

"That's good to hear," she mumbles, looking down at her hands nervously.

Before I have time to question her change in demeanour she is diving forward, grabbing my face with her hands as she leans in to kiss me. When our lips meet there are no fireworks or explosions in my head like I thought there would be. Instead there is an overwhelming calm - the rest of the world slips away and there is nothing left but Bella and I. All I can feel is her hands stroking my cheeks and her soft lips gliding over mine. All I can smell is her intoxicating honey lavender scent. I bring my hands to her waist and pull her in even closer, increasing the pressure of our kiss. We stay like that for minutes, neither of us in any hurry to deepen the kiss, just enjoying the feel of each others lips. Finally Bella pulls away, breathless.

"So you're not an absolute idiot then?" She manages to breath out.

"No," I smile and shake my head. "At least not about this. I had actually resolved to tell you today that I have feelings for you."

"Well I guess I saved you the trouble." Bella smiles cheekily as she adjusts herself so that she is sitting beside me on the couch, laying her head on my shoulder and throwing an arm over my waist.

"Not quite," I say and Bella lifts her head to give me a questioning look. "I have a bit more to tell you, I skipped over this the other day when I told you about the pack."

Bella sits back up and turns to face me fully on the couch, her position indicating that she is ready to listen to whatever I have to say. I take a moment to figure out how to explain this to her before continuing.

"I finally found out why Sam left me for Emily. The first time he saw her after he phased something happened to him. It's called imprinting. When a shape-shifter sees someone for the first time after phasing they can imprint on them. The moment that happens it's like the center of your world changes - everything revolves around your imprint. The thing that matters most to you is being with your imprint and keeping them happy. It's sort of like finding a soulmate, only way more intense. When Sam imprinted on Emily he couldn't fight it, and Emily felt that bond too. And when I saw you on Sunday morning, I imprinted on you."

Bella is silent as she takes everything in. I decide I should to keep going and just get it all out there.

"I am sorry I didn't say anything sooner. Sam wore Emily down after imprinting on her - she tried to resist at first for my sake but he wouldn't leave her alone until she gave in. I knew you might feel the bond too but I didn't want to tell you about it and take away any choice you had in the matter. So I kept silent and hoped you would tell me on your own if you had feelings for me. But when you were talking about Edward deciding what was best for you yesterday I realized I was doing the same thing. That you are a part of the imprint and deserve to know that it happened. So I decided I would tell you today, but you beat me to the punch with that kiss."

"So I'm like your wolf soulmate?"

"I'd like to think that you are my human soulmate, the imprint just intensifies it all."

"Leah," she says my name hesitantly and I am terrified about what she is going to say next. "I really like you. I do feel a connection with you and I have been feeling this pull towards you since Sunday morning, though if I'm honest I felt drawn to you even before that. It's just that I don't think I'm ready to jump into such a serious relationship right now."

"Oh," I whisper. I feel like she just told me the world is ending but I try not to let it show on my face. I must not do a very good job because she immediately jumps to reassure me.

"Please don't take that the wrong way. I wouldn't have kissed you if I wasn't ready for a relationship with you but I want to take it one step at a time. This imprint business sounds intense and I like you but I'm not ready to declare my undying love for you. It's just that I had an unhealthy relationship with Edward and I don't want to repeat the same mistakes. Not that I think I think you're a mistake!"

Her face is turning red and she is getting visibly flustered. I can see where she is going with this though. From what she told me about their relationship she dove in headfirst shortly after meeting him, going from 0 to "Eternal Love" in the blink of an eye. I can understand her hesitation now that I am telling her we are somehow mystically bonded and my world revolves around her. Edward probably fed her similar crap and I do not want to be anything like Edward. I decide to step in and let her know I understand where she is coming from.

"I think I understand what you're saying and I agree, we don't have to treat this any differently just because I imprinted on you. I promise not to rush you and to give you all the space you need."

"Thanks for understanding," Bella smiles, grabbing my hand and lacing our fingers together. "I do want to be with you, I just need to take things a little slow."

"Of course. I will follow your lead on this Bella, we'll go at whatever pace you need."

Bella leans forward and kisses my cheek, smiling sweetly. She returns to her previous position resting her head on my shoulder though she keeps possession of my hand, playing with fingers as we move on to lighter topics. When Charlie gets home we are both sitting at the kitchen table working on homework while Bella keeps an eye on the stew she has simmering for dinner. They both invite me to stay but I know my mom would want me home soon so I decline the offer and head out.

* * *

Bella has a nervous look on her face the next morning and she doesn't say anything as she climbs in my car.

"What is it?"

She gives me a surprised look when I ask, as if she hasn't been totally obvious about something being wrong. I just raise an eyebrow at her and she sighs.

"Alice called me last night. The Cullens will be at school today. Well Jasper, Alice, and Edward will be."

I groan. Now that I know Edward is a mind reader I am not exactly excited to meet him, not that I was before. I told my mom about Bella and I at dinner but other than her, Emily, and the pack no one knows. Not that there is much to tell at the moment since I don't know where we stand exactly.

"It's not that bad," Bella says. "They will probably steer clear of us. Except Alice, she is really looking forward to meeting you."

"What about Edward? It would only take a tiny glimpse into my mind for him to realize I have imprinted on you. And that you like me back and that we're...are we dating?"

Bella laughs and my face reddens.

"You have to ask me on a date for us to be dating."

We are at a stoplight so I turn towards her to speak.

"Would you like to go out with me this Friday?"

"It's a date."

"Great," I smile. "We're dating." Then I frown. "Edward is going to find out we're dating. Is there a trick I can do to keep him out of my mind?"

"Leah, calm down. I wasn't planning on hiding it anyway. Unless you want to."

I pull into a parking spot and then look at her, surprised.

"I don't want to unless you want to. Are you sure you don't want to keep it a secret? Especially if you don't want to move too fast."

"Yes," Bella nods her head. "I'm sure. Just because we're going slow doesn't mean other people can't know about it. I'm not going to shout it from rooftops or anything but I'm not embarrassed about what I feel for you. And if I want to hold your hand or kiss you before class then I'm not going to let Edward or anyone else stop me. Now let's go to class."

She unbuckles her belt and leans over to give me a quick peck on the lips before exiting the car, and I follow her out. Just as I reach Bella's side I smell the sickly sweet vampire scent drifting towards me and notice three students, I assume the Cullens, walking toward us. Bella slips her hand into mine and laces our fingers together, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. I realize when she does it that I had been growling under my breath...I didn't do it on purpose, this is just my first time around vampires and it seems against my nature to just let them walk towards me without doing anything about it. Bella gently stroking the back of my hand with her thumb calms me down as I observe the three Cullens.

Alice is a tiny creature with black hair in a short pixie cut and she is wearing what seem to be a designer skirt and blouse along with heels that make my feet hurt just looking at them. I assume the guy whose hand she is holding is Jasper. He is tall with honey blonde hair that reaches halfway down his neck. He is muscular but lean, nothing like the boys in the pack with their bulging muscles. The most striking thing about him is that he seems to be covered in scars, so many that I can't even begin to imagine how he got them all. The fact that he has them, that he survived whatever did that, makes it clear that he's dangerous. The last boy, Edward, is also fairly tall and has bronze colored hair. He is thinner than the other one, still muscular but much less so - he has more of a lanky body. All three of them are pale with purple shadows under their golden eyes. As they approach I notice that Edward's eyes are fixed on me in concentration and I can detect what looks like frustration in his features.

"Bella," Alice releases Jasper's hand and dances over to hug Bella. Then before I know what's happening she is also hugging me. "And you must be Leah, I've heard so much about you. But not nearly enough."

I stare at her in shock, unable to believe that a vampire just hugged me. Now she's smiling at me as though we are friends. This is definitely how I expected my first meeting with a vampire to go, not that I used to think much about meeting vampires before this week. Finally I manage to remember how to use my voice.

"Hello. Yes, I'm Leah. Alice, right?"

"That's me! This is my husband Jasper, though around the humans I refer to him as my boyfriend. And this is my broody brother Edward."

"Pleasure to meet you." Jasper says with a southern twang that I am sure has captured many girls' hearts.

"Likewise."

I look over at Edward who is still staring at me with a frightening intensity and I wonder if he is reading my mind right now. After a few seconds I decide to speak.

"Hello Edward."

He nods at me as he continues to bore holes into my forehead with his eyes. I am seriously confused by his behavior until he finally seems to give up and adopt a puzzled expression.

"Why can't I read you?"

At first I have no idea what he is talking about but then I realize that he must not be able to read my mind. I grin and shrug, not sure why he can't read me but not at all upset about it. Bella finally speaks.

"Well we should be getting to class. It was nice to see you all."

I can feel Edward's eyes on my head as we walk away from them towards English class.


	9. Chapter 9

As the day progresses I find that I have classes with all three of the Cullens. Edward is in my Calculus class but we don't really talk to each other at all, though I can feel him staring at me the whole time. Jasper shows up in Spanish class and when the teacher has him introduce himself more than half the girls swoon. Since there is now an odd number in the class the teacher asks him to join an existing group and although the humans are smitten from afar their survival instincts make them reluctant to volunteer. I take pity and invite Jasper to work with me and Ben. His Spanish is near perfect and although he looks slightly uncomfortable the whole time he and Ben actually get along fairly well. It turns out Jasper enjoys video games as well which I find hilarious considering Bella told me yesterday that he's over 150 years old.

At lunch the Cullens sit at their own table and Eric questions Bella about their return. Bella assures her friends that their return has nothing to do with her and that she is not going to be getting back together with Edward. I can see Edward make a face as he hears her say this from across the cafeteria and I can't help but smirk. Alice is in my history class and she wastes no time in sitting next to me and starting to ask me questions about my family and interests. She lets me know that since I seem to have gotten close with Bella we are by default going to be friends. I am amused by how forward she is and how friendly she is being considering our species are born enemies. It is easy to talk to her in class since we both have supernatural hearing and can speak to each other in voices too low to be heard by humans, but I realize at the end of class that I have no idea what the lesson was about. Alice can probably afford to get away with that since she's been through high school before but I have not. Before she leaves Alice drops a couple pieces of paper on my desk. Her handwriting is flawless and I realize she was taking notes the entire time she was talking me, I had thought she was pretending. I smile gratefully at her before I head to gym class.

Bella gets there late and looks upset when she arrives but when I ask her what is wrong she tells me we'll talk later. Once we are on the way home after school I turn to her to ask but she starts talking before I get the chance.

"Edward is in my chemistry class."

She has chemistry right before gym and I realize Edward must have done something to upset her during that class. I wait patiently for her to continue.

"He just came over to me after class and was pestering me about wanting to spend time together. He insisted that he just wanted us to be friends but I know he's only doing that because he thinks he can win me back if he spends time with me. I told him I had no interest in being his friend but he just won't take a hint."

"I'm sorry he's bothering you. If you want I'll beat him up." Bella smiles at this. "Seriously though, now that they know you are okay why are they even staying in Forks?"

"Alice is worried about my future disappearing still. Also they have some concerns about the vampire you all said was in the area. We had a run in with a few nomads a while back so they are extra cautious about unfamiliar vampires around me."

We get to Bella's house and once we are inside I have her tell me about this "run-in" with the nomads. I am appalled at the amount of danger Bella has been in before I met her. Luckily Alice killed the tracker that was after her but I can see how they would be concerned since Bella happens to smell extra delicious to vampires for whatever reason. I have been patrolling before school with Quil and nothing has turned up but after hearing this story I am extra grateful for how cautious Sam is being. The thought of a vampire slipping by us scares me and I am glad the pack is meeting with the Cullens tonight to talk. Thinking about that reminds me I have to ask Bella about it.

"Bella, I meant to tell you we are meeting with the Cullens tonight. Sam told me last night and I told him I think you should be there. He agreed so if you want to come with us we'll just be talking with them about patrolling Forks. Really Sam will be doing the talking, he just doesn't want to go to their place alone."

"Yeah of course, what time?"

"10 PM, do you think you could sneak out?"

"Would it be alright if I just slept over? That might be a bit easier than sneaking out."

"Sure if your dad will go for that."

"He should. I haven't told him about us yet by the way. I just don't want to say anything until we're a bit more serious."

"No need to explain."

After that we do homework but I am distracted by what Bella said. I know she just wants to go slow and I am determined to follow her lead but it hurts to know she's not serious enough about me to want to tell her dad. I know I am being irrational to expect her to feel serious before I have so much as taken her on a date but I can't help it. I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her and she doesn't think I am important enough to tell her dad about me. When Charlie gets back Bella talks to him about the sleepover, mentioning something about an English presentation. I'm not really paying too much attention and by the look on Charlie's face he doesn't care too much either, he is perfectly fine with having her stay over at my house.

* * *

The pack meets at my house to leave for the meeting and once everyone is there we go out into the forest to phase. Bella and I separate from the pack so I have some privacy, she turns around while I take off my clothes to put in a bag and once I've phased she grabs the bag and climbs on top of me. When I told her we would be running over to the Cullens' house and she could ride atop me she was a little skeptical but I assured her that it was safe, Sam does it with Emily on occasion. We join the rest of the pack and all leave together, I slow down and let Sam lead since I don't know where we are going. It feels weird but not unpleasant to have Bella sitting on top of me with her arms around my neck, grabbing hold of some of my fur. It does not take long for us to arrive at the Cullens and when we do I separate from the pack to phase back and get dressed.

When we walk out of the forest Sam and I are the only two of the pack in human form, he ordered everyone else to stay in wolf form just in case. I honestly think part of the reason is that he knows one of them would end up saying something offensive to the Cullens if they could talk. Most of the pack refers to them as "leeches" or "bloodsuckers" which I am sure are not PC terms. The Cullens are already outside, there are four others besides Edward, Jasper, and Alice. I can tell from Bella's descriptions that it's Carlisle, Esme, Emmet, and Rosalie. We walk towards them until we are only a few feet apart and then Carlisle speaks.

"Welcome to our home. I'd invite you all inside but I assume the others are going to be staying like that?" He is clearly referring to the 6 wolves forming a semicircle behind Sam, Bella, and I.

"We'd prefer to stay out here if that's alright with you," Sam replies.

"Of course."

Sam and Carlisle do most of the talking but I listen intently to what they have to say. Anything that involves Bella has my full attention. Sam basically asks Carlisle to commit to cover patrolling the area of Forks or to allow for us to change the treaty so that we are allowed to cross over the treaty line as wolves. Carlisle assures Sam that the Cullens can cover Forks without a problem, they don't need to sleep so it's actually way easier for them. Carlisle does agree to allow us to chase any unfamiliar vampires past the treaty line and Sam gives the Cullens the same permission. As they continue talking I notice Bella is shivering slightly, the night has gotten cooler and her jacket is thin. I move closer to her and put my arm around her to warm her up with my body heat. She smiles gratefully at me as she wraps one of her arms around my waist and burrows further into my shoulder. I hear Quil let out a huff behind me that I know by now is his way of laughing in wolf form.

"You imprinted on her?!"

Edward shouts all of a sudden in an incredulous voice, glaring at me with unconcealed rage in his eyes. Everyone looks startled by the outburst and Jasper moves to stand beside him, likely sensing his rage and putting himself in a position to restrain him if necessary. Bella's arm tightens around my waist and I am comforted by the fact that she didn't pull away. I can guess what just happened - when I moved to keep Bella warm Quil must have been laughing because he or one of the others made a joke about me and my imprint. Edward read either that or the thoughts surrounding it and found out that I had imprinted on Bella.

"Yes she did Edward, though it really has nothing to do with you."

Bella says to him in a steady voice before I get a chance and I smile at her words. The Cullens all look surprised except for Edward who is furious.

"Of course it has something to do with me Bella. I love you. We are meant to be together. You can't seriously be considering choosing this _mutt_ over me."

The second he says the word "mutt" I can hear the pack start growling behind me, I started growling the second he started talking about them being meant to be together. Bella is running her hand up and down my back to calm me down and Sam barks at the pack to quiet down. Bella doesn't let his comment slide and she pulls away from me to step closer to him and reply in an angry voice.

"We are not meant to be together Edward. I am not choosing Leah _over _you because that would imply you are even in the running. I didn't reject you because I am with Leah, I wasn't even with her when I did it. I rejected you because I don't want to be with you. Frankly I just don't like you and this pathetic jealous ex bit isn't going to change my mind!"

She is yelling by the end and everyone is stunned into silence by the uncharacteristic rant. Before Edward can say anything Carlisle tells Jasper to escort him inside and then turns back to look at Bella and me.

"I apologize to both of you for Edward's behaviour."

Bella doesn't say anything to him as she walks back to me and burrows back into my side. I nod at him as I slip my arm back around her waist. I suppose it's a nice gesture on his part but he's not the one who needs to apologize.

"Oh I get it!"

The voice that cuts through the silence has a deep, booming quality to it. It's Emmett, his voice matches his large, muscular frame. Everyone looks at him when he speaks and the beautiful blonde at his side, Rosalie, raises an eyebrow at him.

"Alice said that the shifters block her visions and Bella somehow blocks Edward's powers. And now Alice can't see Bella's future and Edward said he can't read Leah. The imprint totally connected their supernatural abilities. How awesome is that?!"

I can't help but chuckle at how excited he sounds about having figured out the mystery. I'm also impressed, his explanation seems pretty obvious but no one really put it together. Though I suppose it's also because those of us who knew about the imprint did not know Alice couldn't see wolves and the people who knew that didn't know about the imprint. His outburst manages to defuse some of the tension and Sam and Carlisle finish up their conversation, which had been winding to a close before Edward's scene anyway.

* * *

We leave soon after that and head back to the reservation. Once I phase Quil apologizes for thinking about the imprint in front of Edward but I let him know there is no need - I didn't ask them to control their thoughts about that and if I had it would not have been a very reasonable request. Anyway Bella didn't have a problem with Edward knowing and it is probably better that he found out tonight instead of at school. I am proud of how she stood up to Edward when he was being an ass and glad she separated rejecting him from being with me. For Edward to think that the only reason she would reject him is for another person is ridiculous.

The pack all leaves soon after we leave the house, although Sam does tell me I can have the night off patrol before he goes. Bella and I head to my room and get ready for bed. We both get under the covers and position ourselves cautiously so that we are not touching. I am assuming she does it in the interest of keeping things going slow and I do it because I want to give her space. After a few minutes of silence I feel Bella turn onto her side to face me and whisper my name.

"Leah, are you still awake?"

"Yeah, why?" I turn onto my side, mirroring her position so that I can look at her while we talk.

"I just…" she pauses as if she's unsure what to say next. "You know I like you right?''

"I should hope so," I tease. "I like you too."

"Good," Bella smiles. "I just don't want you to think that I'm not telling Charlie about us, or that I told Edward that you had nothing to do with me rejecting him, because I am not invested in our relationship. I am. Anyway what I said to Edward had more to do with him understanding that his anger towards you was misplaced and I really wouldn't be with him regardless. The thing with my dad though…"

She pauses to gather her thoughts and I can't help but smile at the look of concentration on her face. She doesn't finish her thought when she starts speaking again, instead going off in a different direction.

"I know I already said this the other day but I've felt drawn to you since before you imprinted on me. Now though, with the imprint and with knowing how you feel about me it's almost irresistible. I have never wanted anything or anyone as badly as I want you."

She is blushing furiously and can't look me in the eyes as she says this. Her words stir something deep within me that I try to ignore as she continues.

"I just don't want our relationship to be built on this intangible desire to be with you. I don't want to fast forward through first dates and shy touches. I want to go slow and enjoy every part of being in a relationship with you and getting to know you on a deeper level." She is speaking in such a gentle voice and I am touched by her sweet words. "Plus if I tell my dad right now that might put an end to sleepovers."

I chuckle at the last part. Charlie is pretty protective of Bella and I can imagine that whenever he does find out he may have a problem with us spending the night together. Then again he may be so happy that I'm not Edward that he won't care. I am distracted from thinking about how Charlie will react when I feel Bella moving closer to me. She grabs my arm and places it on top of her waist so that I am holding her as she cuddles up next to me, her face buried in my neck. I kiss the top of her head and start to gently rub her back.

"I understand completely, Bella. I want all of that too."

* * *

**I hope Emmett cleared up what is going on with Edward not being able to read Leah and with Bella's future disappearing. When Leah imprinted on Bella their futures became permanently tied together so Alice stopped being able to see Bella. At the same time Bella's mental shield extended to Leah - this is not something she is doing on purpose it just happened because they are supernaturally connected now.**

**I appreciate all the reviews - I love to hear what people are thinking and if they are enjoying the story.**


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up in such close proximity to Bella puts a smile on my face. We are even closer together than we were when we fell asleep. One of her legs is wrapped around mine and her hand has snuck underneath my shirt to rest on the smooth skin just above the waistband of my shorts. The feel of her bare leg brushing against mine and her hand against the sensitive skin at my waist is causing the stirring I felt last night to return full force. I can feel her steady breath hitting my neck so it is easy for me to tell she is waking up when her breathing changes. I feel her tense for a few seconds and then relax, probably taking some time to remember where she is.

"Good morning," I say softly to her, alerting her to the fact I am awake.

She presses a small kiss against my neck where her head is resting and then lifts herself up to look me in the eye. As she adjusts her body to look at me her hand slides further up my stomach, taking my shirt with it. Her hand is now resting lightly a few inches above my belly button.

"Good morning," she replies.

She is smiling at me as her thumb rubs gentle circles on my exposed skin. My brain is fogged over with lust and I let out a shuddering breath as I look down at where her thigh is now pressing into my center as a result of her shifting around. She follows my gaze and when she realizes where her thigh is her face turns red as she jumps off of me but she ends up getting tangled in the sheets and starts to fall off the bed. Luckily my reflexes are not impacted by sleep or lust and I am able to catch her and steady her before she falls off. She untangles herself from the sheets before getting up, more calmly this time. As she stands beside my bed she gives me a sheepish look.

"I think we may need to hold off on the sleepovers until our relationship is a bit more...advanced."

I don't argue because as much as I enjoyed having Bella sleep in my arms being this close to her, in sleepwear that is much more revealing than our everyday clothing, makes it a bit hard to keep my thoughts appropriate. We manage to get ready for school and head out without any further incidents. As I'm driving Bella grabs the hand I have resting on my lap and starts playing with my fingers, I've noticed she likes doing that. Before my mind can wander too far down the path of what else Bella could enjoy about my fingers she starts speaking.

"So about our date tonight...I remembered this morning that I told your mom I would come over today and cook that paella I was talking about."

"Oh! I had totally forgotten about that. We can reschedule for tomorrow...would you be okay with something during the day? I'm thinking picnic on the beach."

"Ooh sounds romantic," she says in a teasing voice.

"Well, I am trying to woo you," I tease back.

"And you're doing a mighty fine job. Especially in that shirt."

She eyes my upper body as we pull into the parking lot and I know that she is only joking but her words make me blush. Although the way her gaze is lingering on my chest there may be a bit of truth to her words. I am wearing a Ramones t-shirt that fit snugly before my wolfish growth spurt and is now fairly tight, accentuating my breasts. I snap my fingers in front of her face and she looks up as I gesture at my face.

"My eyes are up here, babe."

Bella blushes adorably as she unbuckles her seatbelt and steps out of the car. By the time I get out she has already walked around to the my side of the car and composed herself. As we walk towards class Angela and Ben approach us. Ben has the look on his face that he gets when he is really excited about a new video game or comic book. The second they reach us he starts talking as we all walk through the parking lot.

"Hey guys! Angela, Eric, and I are going to see that new zombie movie tomorrow. It's supposed to be awesome. Interested?"

"Please," Angela interjects, "don't leave me alone with those two."

"Alright I'll go just for you Angela," Bella says. All three of them turn to look at me.

"Count me in. Not for you Angela, for the zombies." I stick my tongue out at her playfully and she laughs.

It feels nice to just joke around with friends and act like a regular teenager after the week I've had. It's hard to believe it hasn't even been a full week since everything happened. Bella slips her hand into mine as we part from Angela and Ben to head towards English class, lacing our fingers together. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jasper and Alice exiting a yellow Porche and notice that Edward is not with them. I decide to ask Jasper about it in Spanish class.

My morning classes are pretty uneventful and I confirm in Calculus that Edward is not at school today. When I get to Spanish class Jasper is already there, chatting with Ben about the zombie movie we are watching this Saturday. I hear Ben invite Jasper and Alice to join us but Jasper politely declines. I assume sitting for a couple hours in a crowded theater with a bunch of hormonal teenagers is more of a risk than Jasper is willing to take. I wait until midway through class to ask him about Edward, casually bringing up that I noticed he wasn't in math class. Jasper informs me and Ben that Edward is "feeling ill" and will likely be missing more than a few days of school since he needs time to recover. I figure this means that Edward is taking some time to cool off, whether by choice or by Carlisle's command I am not sure but I am glad he is not around to cause any drama.

* * *

After school Bella and I stop by a grocery store to pick up ingredients for her paella before heading over to my house. I insist on paying since she is the one cooking for us and we now have to make monstrous amounts of everything to feed the pack as well. Half the pack, including Seth, is lounging around the living room when we arrive so Bella and I head to my room after putting away the groceries. We chat and finish up our homework before going back to the kitchen to start on dinner.

I have seen Bella in the kitchen on numerous occasions but it is always fascinating to see her completely in her element. It is probably the only place on earth where she is more graceful than clumsy. She takes the lead and I assist where I can, chopping onions and crushing garlic, but mostly I end up just watching her. I hear Embry make a joke about not being able to tell if I'm drooling because of the food or Bella but I don't bother tearing my eyes away from her to respond.

When it is finished Bella and I call everyone to come get food before sitting with my mom, Seth, Quil, and Embry at the table to eat. Jake, Jared, Sam, and Emily sit in the living room and we set aside a plate for Paul who is currently on patrol. We all talk and joke around during dinner and I am glad to see my mom smiling a few times at our antics. At some point Bella places her hand on my knee underneath the table and I can't help grinning like a fool at the touch. Before long it is time for Bella to go home and she says goodbye to everyone before we both walk out to my car.

I drive Bella home in silence and when we get there I pull into her driveway and turn the car off but neither of us moves. When Bella finally unbuckles her seatbelt she does not get out of the car, instead she takes advantage of the bench seat and slides closer to me. She lifts herself slightly from the seat in order to give me a peck on the cheek.

"This was a good first date," she smiles.

"That's not what this was supposed to be. My idea of our first date didn't involve my mom and most of the pack joining us for dinner," I say, confused at her words.

"Maybe not, but it was a perfect night and I think a perfect first date. Plus it takes a lot of pressure off of our second date tomorrow."

"You're an odd one, Bella Swan."

"You shouldn't complain, if it wasn't a date you wouldn't be getting a goodnight kiss."

"Well I -"

I don't get a chance to finish my sentence because she grabs my face and pulls me towards her for a chaste kiss. By the time my brain starts working I only have a few seconds to kiss her back before she pulls away.

"Goodnight," she whispers while getting out of the car.

I watch her walk inside her house, waving at me before shutting the door. The kiss was incredibly short in comparison to our first one but it still stuns me for a few minutes. After sitting in her driveway for a bit I start my car back up and head home thinking about our night. I guess it really was a perfect date.

* * *

**This was a little shorter than usual but hope you still enjoyed it. The next one should be longer.**

**Again thanks so much to everyone that is reviewing and letting me know what they think. You all are the reason I am motivated to update so fast!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Leah this would go much faster if you didn't complain so much. Just get in the dressing room and try these on. Be sure to show me each one, I don't trust your judgement when it comes to fashion."

I roll my eyes but I don't argue as I step into the dressing room. If you had told me a few months ago that I would be spending a Saturday going shopping in Port Angeles with Alice Cullen I would probably have laughed in your face. Still, here I am being forced into yet another dressing room to try on the pile of lingerie Alice has picked out for me. Life has a funny way of taking you down paths that you never would have expected.

Bella and I have been dating for almost three months and every moment of it has been wonderful. We still haven't told Charlie but at this point it's more because Bella isn't sure how he will react and neither of us want him to start restricting our time together. By the time we got around to telling Ben and Angela, a few weeks after we started dating, those two had already figured out something was going on. They were very supportive about our relationship and Ben told me they had sensed the chemistry since the beginning of our friendship. Eric, who we told right after Ben and Angela, was a lot more surprised but still very cool about it. News of our relationship spread through the rest of the school fairly quick since we did not try hiding it. This resulted in some pervy comments from various boys and a few bitchy ones from girls like Lauren but for the most part nobody cared.

Edward returned from his cooling off trip in Canada and has been brooding around the school ever since. While he was there he ran into Laurent, one of the nomads who Bella had a run-in with last year, and came back with some disturbing information. Victoria told Laurent that she is determined to kill Bella so she can finish the job her mate had started. She had also expressed a desire to destroy the entire Cullen family for their part in killing her mate, though I don't know how she expects to take on an entire coven by herself. This news cemented the Cullens' decision to stay in Forks for a while and we haven't let up on patrolling since then but so far nobody has run into anything. Relations between the Cullens and the pack have improved since we are all working together on this, though not all members of the pack are as supportive as others.

Speaking of relations with the Cullens, I am now friends with a couple of them. My friendship with Alice isn't that surprising since she is one of Bella's closest friends and is remarkably easy to get along with. I've spent a lot of time with Jasper since he is around Alice a lot, we have all been on quite a few double dates together. Jasper is also now a part of my weekly video game sessions with Ben, and so is Quil. Generally I get along better with Jasper than I do with Alice so this shopping trip we are currently on is not a normal occurrence. In fact as I step out in the red lace panties and matching bra she picked out for me I feel very uncomfortable. This feeling only grows as she circles me, staring intently at my body while she contemplates the items I am wearing.

"No," she finally says, giving no further explanation.

I sigh and go back into the dressing room to try on the next item, a corset that I don't really ever see myself wearing but apparently Alice thinks will look "delicious" on me and I _must_ try it on. This started last week when I brought up to Alice during our history class that Bella and I have been dating for nearly three months. It just so happens that the three month mark is going to fall on February 14th, so it will be our first Valentine's Day together. It is also President's Day weekend so we have that Monday off of school, making it the perfect opportunity to take a weekend trip. Alice announced that she was going to help me with planning for the weekend and I agreed mostly because she wouldn't take no for an answer but also because she can be sort of useful. I am going to be taking Bella to Seattle and Alice has given me many wonderful suggestions about what to do there. She helped me book the hotel room since I'm under 18 and she even talked to Charlie and told him that the three of us were going to a spa with Esme for the entire weekend. Anyway Alice is the reason I can afford this in the first place - she has been using her powers to help my mom and I invest our money and we have already started doing pretty well. This has taken a lot of stress of my mom since she was incredibly worried about our financial situation after my dad passed away.

After all of Alice's help it felt like I had to say yes when she asked to take me shopping to help me pick outfits for the weekend. However the second she dragged me into Aerie to do some lingerie shopping I started wishing I had said no. I insisted that I was fine in that department and that wasn't what this trip was about anyway but Alice was insistent. She gave me a knowing look and told me that just because her powers didn't work on Bella and I didn't mean she was stupid. She told me she is taking Bella shopping here tomorrow too and the thought of Bella trying on lingerie distracted me long enough for Alice to drag me in here. I try on the entire pile that Alice handed me before she allows me to leave, having to stand uncomfortably as she circles me intently to analyze each one. She even gets a little handsy at one point when she is trying to figure out if I am wearing the right bra size. Overall it is not a fun experience but I do have to admit that she does have great taste when it comes to this.

After buying more lingerie than I could possibly wear in a weekend we are finally done with our shopping trip. We head to the food court where I eat a giant bowl of noodles as Alice watches in fascination. It used to make me uncomfortable when Alice just stared at me as I ate but now I am used to it. After I am finished we start heading back to Forks and the closer we get to Bella the happier I begin to feel.

* * *

I stop by Bella's house before heading home on Saturday just to see her but I don't really get to spend time with her until Sunday night when she gets back from shopping with Alice. I pick her up so she can come over to my place where she will be spending the night. We have been doing that a lot lately, even on school nights, and I worry what Charlie will say when he finds out we are dating. I don't think he will be intolerant of the idea, that just doesn't seem like Charlie, but he will probably try to set boundaries on my time with Bella. I don't like the thought of that, especially since it isn't even like Bella and I have been having sex or anything. Although we do have some very steamy make-out sessions.

"I missed you this weekend, I feel like I barely got to see you," Bella says as she cuddles into me.

We are laying in my bed, both of us have been quietly enjoying each other's company and Bella's voice startles me a little when it cuts through the silence.

"I missed you too."

Bella shifts all of a sudden to climb on top of me, straddling my waist. She leans forward, holding herself up on her elbows so that her face is hovering above mine. Her pink tongue pokes out of her mouth and she licks my bottom lip before closing the distance and kissing me. My arms go to her legs, running up and down the bare skin as our tongues glide gently against each other. Bella has taken to wearing booty shorts and a tank top to bed since my high body temperature keeps things pretty warm. I also wear booty shorts but usually I throw on an old crop top, meaning right now I can feel Bella's legs brush against my waist. As she starts sucking on my bottom lip I roll us over so that I am on top of her, laying between her legs. Since Bella no longer needs to use her hands to support herself she tangles them in my hair, pulling me close to her.

I can smell her arousal in the air, along with my own, and the scent is driving me crazy. I smile into Bella's mouth as I remember the first time she realized that I could smell when she was aroused. She had crossed her legs as her face turned impossibly red, turning even redder when I tried to assure her that I found it incredibly sexy and I was probably way more aroused than her. Alice is probably right, we are both more than ready to have sex and chances are high that it will happen while we are in Seattle. I let out a gasp as Bella's hand gently palms my breast, I didn't even notice her sneaking it under my shirt. I'm not surprised though, neither of us sleep with bras and my crop tops provide her easy access. I have found that Bella absolutely loves everything about my boobs, including playing with them when we make out.

I pull away from her mouth and start leaving kisses along her jaw as she runs a thumb over one of my rapidly hardening nipples. I slide her tank top up until it resting above her breasts and then I bring my head lower to take one of her nipples between my lips. Bella's hand leaves my breasts and flies back to my head, pushing me into her breast. As I lavish her nipples with attention her hips raise off the bed and I feel the dampness between her legs press against my stomach. She moans at the pressure and I can't help but push down into her before I regain my senses and roll off of her. I don't think either of us wants to have to worry about Seth's supernatural hearing the first time we make love. I lay on my back breathing heavily and I can hear Bella doing the same. After I have calmed down slightly I crawl back up to her face to give her a kiss before pulling her into my arms. She rests her head on my shoulder and presses a kiss against my throat.

"I love you, Leah. You know that, right?"

My heart nearly bursts through my chest at hearing her ask me this. It's the first time she has ever told me that she loves me. I smile at how nonchalant she is about telling me, as if it is something she is certain I already know. I haven't told her I love her yet because I was waiting for her to say it first. I think the imprint made it obvious how I feel about her but I didn't want to say it and make her feel pressured to say it back. Maybe I did know that she loved me too, but it's one thing to feel it and another to actually hear her say it.

"I do now. I love you too, Bella."

* * *

**For those of you who haven't noticed I changed the rating to M. If anyone wants me to post warnings before smut let me know and I can do that and try to make sure it is separated from story lines. Or if people overwhelmingly prefer I don't go too much into detail I can keep it less explicit, just let me know what you'd like.**

**Been having a bit of writer's block but I tried to power through it, hope it was okay. Please let me know what you thought, especially about the Bella/Leah interaction but also about anything else.**


	12. Chapter 12

"Bella," I moan in a voice that sounds much less disapproving than I intended it to. I clear my throat before continuing in what I hope is a more steady voice. "We're going to miss dinner."

We reached our hotel earlier than expected and had planned on exploring a bit before getting dinner. That plan went out the window an hour ago when, after we were both finished getting dressed, Bella tackled me onto the bed. I didn't exactly put up much of a fight and we have been making out for the last hour. My red tube top has been pulled down around my stomach and Bella's mouth is wrapped around one of my nipples. As much as I would love to continue this I know it is only a matter of time before my stomach starts growling and ruins the mood completely. Bella is showing no sign of having heard me, replacing her mouth with one of her hands as she starts kissing my neck. I flip us over so that I am on top and in a remarkable show of willpower I jump off of Bella and the bed, pulling my shirt back up as I do.

"Why would you cover those up?"

"Because it's time to leave and I don't feel like exposing myself to all of Seattle." Bella pouts at me but I stay strong. "As much as I'm enjoying this you are dangerously close to having a hangry werewolf on your hands."

"Fine," Bella concedes. "We'll continue this later."

I can completely understand Bella's frustration - we haven't had many chances to be together without having to worry about Charlie or one of the pack being around. This is pretty much the first time we do not have to hold back and I can smell just how excited that is making Bella. I am glad I didn't plan anything other than dinner for tonight because I'm sure both of us will want to pick up where we are leaving off after we get back to the hotel room. I check in the mirror to make sure I look presentable and Bella gets up from the bed to do the same. We are both wearing dark jeans and Bella is wearing a green halter top.

We both put on our raincoats and head outside - our hotel is downtown and within walking distance of the restaurant. I wanted the first restaurant to be casual and Alice had many suggestions despite the fact that she does not eat human food. We eventually settled on an artisanal pizza place which seemed to be the perfect mix of casual ambience and delicious, unique food. They do not take reservations but luckily Alice was able to pull some strings to ensure Bella and I are seated immediately upon arrival.

We order four different pizzas since they all look so delicious, plus they are on the small side and I am incredibly hungry. Dinner is a pleasant affair and we both enjoy trying the different types of pizza. Bella really likes the mushroom pizza with truffle cheese while my favorite is one with potatoes, rosemary, and pecorino. To our waitresses surprise we manage to finish off all four pizzas, a feat that I will take most of the credit for. We share a cannoli for dessert and then I pay the bill while Bella pouts about me not letting her bring her wallet out of the hotel room. We decide to walk around the downtown area for a while before heading back to the hotel room. The rain has stopped for the moment but it is still cold and Bella grabs my arm and huddles close to me as we walk.

* * *

When we get back to the hotel room we both want to shower and since there is only one restroom Bella goes in first. While she is in the shower I pull out my phone and look up the places I have planned for tomorrow, double checking times and making sure I know how to get to each one. I have put the phone away and am just grabbing my nightclothes when Bella emerges from the bathroom, wrapped in a short hotel towel that just barely covers her. I try not to stare at her for too long as I head into the restroom. I am quick but thorough with my shower and before long I am standing in front of the mirror trying to calm my racing heart before stepping out into the room. Alice insisted on buying new nightclothes for me as well and if what I wore to bed before was revealing this is downright scandalous. I am wearing a sheer black babydoll nightie that barely reaches the top of my thighs and leaves very little to the imagination. The design just barely covers my nipples but besides for that it is completely see-through. Luckily it came with matching panties but even those are lace and do not seem to be made for the purpose of covering anything up. I really regret letting Alice talk me into buying this but I guess it is too late to do anything about it.

I realize I have been in the bathroom for too long at this point and I run a towel through my hair one last time before stepping out into the bedroom. What I see nearly makes my heart stop. Bella is standing in front of the mirror in the bedroom drying her hair with a towel. She is wearing an almost identical outfit to me except it is a bright red color that contrasts nicely with her pale skin. Her nightie is just as short as mine and since she is reaching up to dry her hair it is currently raised up to give me a clear view of her red lace panties. For a moment I stand with my jaw open as my eyes trace her long legs, remarkably flat stomach, and full breasts. Her breasts are slightly smaller than my own but the perfect size for her slender frame. I am staring at the flawless expanse of Bella's neck and shoulders when she clears her throat. I look up to see that she is done drying her hair and looking at me with an amused smile.

"Remind me to thank Alice," she says in a low voice as she slowly looks me up and down.

"We should probably get her a gift basket."

We both move towards each other at the same time, crashing into each other as our lips meet in a fiery kiss. In the three months that we have been dating I have not gotten used to the extraordinary feeling of kissing Bella and I do not think I ever will. Every time we kiss it feels like we are the only two people in the universe and I doubt my ability to pull away from her. Her lips are soft and slide against mine with a practiced ease. Her tongue slips through my slightly parted lips and I groan at the familiar but intoxicating taste. Everything about Bella puts my senses into overdrive and I am super aware of every inch of our bodies that are touching. Her arms are wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer and causing our torsos to crush together. I can feel her stiff nipples pressing into me as I run my hands up her bare arms and wrap them around her neck. Bella pulls away, leaning her forehead against mine as we both breath heavily.

"Why don't we take this to the bed?"

She starts moving in the direction of the bed before I have a chance to answer and I gently grab her wrist to stop her and turn her back towards me. I don't start speaking immediately but she waits patiently, stepping closer to me as she looks at me curiously. I release her wrist and take a deep breath before I start speaking.

"I just want you to know that I am not expecting anything from you. We don't have to do anything more than we usually do."

"Are you saying you don't want to…" Bella trails off, looking confused and a little embarrassed as she refuses to meet my eyes.

"I want everything with you, including this." She looks up at me with a small smile but still seems a little confused. "I just want to make sure it is what you want and not something you feel obligated to do because we are on a romantic weekend getaway, wearing sexy lingerie in a fancy hotel room. I can be as patient as you need me to be - I don't want us to do anything unless you are comfortable with it."

"Leah," she says my name softly, reaching up to place a hand on my cheek. "I love you. And right now there is nothing I would like more than to take you to that bed and show you just how much."

* * *

**This is a short chapter because I am splitting it up so that all the more explicit stuff will stand alone in Chapter 13.**

**Also I am basing all the places they are going to visit on real, and awesome, locations in Seattle. I don't want to put the names of private businesses in the story because I'm not sure if that is allowed but if you are curious about any of them feel free to PM me and I'll tell you what they are.**


	13. Chapter 13

*****This chapter is pretty much just smut. You can skip it without missing anything (except for smut).*****

* * *

We spend a lot of time simply laying in bed kissing, neither of us feeling the need to rush the moment. I am laying on my side facing Bella, who is mirroring my position. Our legs are tangled together and she is running her hand up and down my arm. All of a sudden I feel Bella push me onto my back and climb on top of me as we continue to kiss, our tongues swirling together in a gentle dance. Bella has one hand gently cupping my neck and I feel her other hand trace a path up my stomach, dragging the lace material of my nightie up with it. She ghosts her fingers along my rib cage just under my breasts. I slip my hands under her babydoll and caress her back as she pulls away from my mouth to start kissing my neck. I resist the instinctual urge to flip us over and take charge, wanting to follow Bella's lead.

"Can I take these off?"

Her face is hovering over mine as the hand that was at my neck is now tracing the waistband of my panties. I nod my head and raise my hips off the bed as she slides down my legs, throwing them off to the side. Her own quickly follow and I move to take the rest of my outfit off as well but Bella stills my hand.

"Leave it on."

She settles back on top of me and I let out a gasp at the feeling of her wet center against my thigh. As she continues kissing me her own thigh presses into my soaking core and I moan into her mouth at the sensation. We continue to rub against each other and Bella starts rubbing my nipples with her thumbs over the lace material of my shift. I get a firm grip on her bare ass in order to pull her into me and increase the friction between us. I knead the soft flesh beneath my fingers as she begins to increase the speed of her thrusts. I arch my back to push my throbbing pussy into Bella's thigh and in a matter of minutes we are both climaxing, though our screams are muffled by our kiss. Bella continues to rub slowly against me as we recover and both of our thighs are coated in each other's fluids. Bella pulls away from our kiss to bury her head in my neck, leaving small kisses there as she lays on top of me. I allow her a few minutes of rest before flipping us over and sitting up so that I am straddling her, my wet pussy coming into contact with the lace bunched up at Bella's waist.

"Can we take these off now?"

Bella's eyes are lidded with lust as she nods at me and I slide off of her as we both discard the last of our clothing and fully expose ourselves to each other for the first time. She is still laying on her back and I lay on my side next to her, propping myself up with one elbow as I use my free hand to trace around the edges of her breasts. I slowly inch closer to her nipples, circling but never touching the stiff pink flesh. I lean over her chest and blow a puff of warm breath over one of her nipples, causing Bella to arch her back in an attempt to push her breast into my mouth. I decide to stop teasing and oblige her wishes, pulling the hard pebble into my mouth as I use my fingers to tug at the other one. Bella moans appreciatively at the contact and runs a hand through my hair as I continue to lavish attention on her breasts. Eventually I move towards her neck to suck on her pulse point as my hand traces a path from her breast, down her stomach, and to her dripping center. She lets out a shuddering breath as I glide my finger gently along her slit. It doesn't take me long to find her clit and as I start to slowly rub it I pull myself away from Bella's neck to look at her face. Her eyes are closed and she is breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed with color.

Bella is always surprisingly vocal when we make out but the guttural sounds coming out of her mouth right now are new and I am absolutely mesmerized as I continue rubbing the swollen bundle of nerves. Eventually I maneuver my hand so that my thumb stays on her clit as I move my index finger towards her entrance. I enter her slowly, my finger sliding in easily since she is so wet. She tenses when I enter her and I give her a few seconds to get used to having me inside her before doing anything. Bella is a virgin and although she told me she has pleasured herself in this manner, it is quite different to have someone else doing it. After I feel her muscles relax slightly I start to slowly move my finger in and out of her. Bella uses one hand to pull me in for a kiss as her other hand clenches the bed sheets. Her kiss is frantic and she continues to let out sexy groans as her tongue probes into my mouth.

"Another finger," she whispers against my mouth when we stop to breath.

I pull slightly away from her to adjust my angle as I slip my middle finger into her. I pump both fingers inside her, increasing my tempo and putting more pressure on her clit with my thumb. Bella is writhing under my touch and I can tell she is close to finding release. I thrust my fingers into her one final time, curling my fingers to find her g-spot and push her over the edge. I feel her muscles tighten around my fingers and Bella screams my name as she comes. I leave my fingers inside her until she finishes trembling from the orgasm and then I pull them out slowly, immediately missing the warmth of her walls around them. She watches me with slightly dazed eyes as I bring my fingers to my mouth to lick them clean. My eyes flutter closed at my first taste of Bella - I am unsurprised to find it as sweet and potent as everything else about her. When I am done Bella pushes me onto my back, throws a leg over my waist, and snuggles into my shoulder. She sighs contentedly before speaking.

"Mmm, that was wonderful. Why did we wait so long to do this?"

I chuckle lightly, slightly distracted by the way Bella's hand is softly rubbing my hips along with the feeling of her still damp center against my bare skin.

"Judging by all the sounds you made it was probably a wise choice." Bella blushes and buries her head into my neck at the words so I continue. "I found every sound that came out of your mouth extremely sexy, especially you screaming my name like that. I just don't like the thought of Seth or my mom, or even worse Charlie, hearing that."

"You have a point," she mumbles into my neck before pulling back to look at my face. "Although there is one thing we still need to figure out."

"What's that?"

"If you are just as loud as me."

Bella moves to kneel between my legs, spreading them wider to give herself room. The sight of her kneeling there, naked with her pink nipples standing erect and her nether regions still glistening with the evidence of her orgasms, is incredibly arousing. The way she licks her lips as she stares at my exposed center makes me shiver with anticipation. Bella tentatively reaches out a hand, exploring my folds with her fingers while leaning forward so she can use her other hand to massage my breasts. She takes her time, circling my clit but never making contact until I finally decide I cannot take any more of her teasing.

"Bella, please."

The two words come out as a whimper and Bella smirks before tweaking one of my nipples and slipping the tips of two of her fingers inside me. I thrust my hips into the air in an attempt to get her fingers in deeper and she responds by pushing them further into me. She removes her other hand from my chest, bringing it down to play with my clit. I cannot help the groans coming from deep within my throat as she works her fingers inside me and when I climax I scream Bella's name at the top of my lungs. When Bella pulls her fingers out she does not lick them like I did, instead she sticks them both in her mouth, wrapping her lips around them as she sucks them clean. They slide out of her mouth with a wet popping sound and then she crawls up my body, hovering over me so that we are looking into each others eyes, her nipples just barely brushing against my own.

"You taste delicious," she whispers against my mouth before leaning in to capture my lips.

I moan as I taste myself on Bella's tongue and she lowers herself so that our bodies are pressed together. I wrap my arms around her back and to pull her even closer as we kiss. When she finally moves away to catch her breath I take the opportunity to speak.

"I think we've established that I'm just as loud."

Bella laughs as she shifts so that she is only partially on top of me, one of her legs thrown over both of mine and her arm wrapped around my waist. She lays a kiss at the base of my throat before laying her head on the pillow next to mine. I slide my arm under and around her neck to stroke her hair as she scoots even closer to me, her nose pressing into the side of my face. She gives my cheek a peck and then responds in a serious voice.

"You are _much_ louder, babe."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it. Feedback is always appreciated but especially for this because it's still an area I don't feel quite comfortable writing but am trying to improve. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry this update took so long - I meant to take a bit of a break for the holidays but then I had a lot of trouble writing this (or anything) for a while after that. Had to force my way through some serious writer's block to get this done.**

**Also I've been looking over previous chapters and it's obvious that I am in desperate need of a beta...anyone that is interested please PM me.**

* * *

When I wake up the next morning our positions are somewhat reversed. Bella is laying on her back and I am halfway on top of her, our legs are tangled together and my hand is resting on her shoulder. For a while I just lay there, enjoying the feeling of Bella's skin against mine and the sound of her steady breathing in my ear. Eventually I figure I should get up and shower but when I start to slowly lift myself off Bella she stirs. Before I can get too far from her she reaches out to grab me and pull me back on top of her, grumbling unintelligibly as she does.

"Good morning Bella," I say in a quiet voice. She grunts in response. "As much as I would love to stay in bed with you we have a big day planned and I need to shower before we leave."

"But if you get up I'll be cold," she whines, which is probably true since we are sleeping on top of the covers.

"So all I am to you is a human blanket?" I ask dramatically.

"A sexy human blanket," she assures me, smiling at the pout on my face.

"Well this sexy human blanket is hungry."

In the end Bella manages to convince me to call room service so that we can stay in bed longer. To be honest it does not take a lot to convince me to stay cuddled up to my very beautiful and very naked girlfriend. The young man who brings in our food widens his eyes at the sight of both of us wearing hastily thrown on silk robes but manages to quickly compose himself although he does not look either of us in the eye, even when I am tipping him. He trips over his own feet as he walks backwards out of the room, staring at something on the floor behind me. Once I close the door I turn around and realize he was probably looking at the clothes that Bella and I carelessly threw to the floor by the bed last night and forgot to pick up. I don't mention this to Bella because she already seems sufficiently embarrassed by the encounter.

After we finish breakfast Bella and I shower (separately, to my disappointment) and get dressed for our day. When I step out of the bathroom Bella is holding a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates, smiling sheepishly as she presents me with the Valentine's Day staples. This somehow ends up leading to a half hour make-out session and when we finally get out of the hotel room we are around three hours behind schedule.

We start off with the main activity of the day, which is a bookstore tour of the city. I came up with the idea since Bella loves reading and spending time in bookstores, Alice helped me figure out the best ones to go to. I am not exactly a fan of bookstores but seeing Bella's face light up when I tell her what we are doing confirms that this is a brilliant idea. Her favorite place ends up being the last one we visit, a small used bookstore in the Fremont area. After spending close to an hour just in the last store we head to a sandwich shop for lunch, toting a couple bags filled with books bought earlier in the day. The sun has made a rare appearance today so we grab a table by a window after ordering.

"Seriously babe," Bella says to me as we wait for our sandwiches to arrive. "I wish you'd let me at least pay for something. I don't like that you're covering all of this."

"We've been over this already...this is all being covered by dirty vampire vision money, it's hardly a big deal."

Bella looks like she is about to reply but before she can her phone rings, the distinctive sound of Lady Gaga's song "Teeth" alerting me to the fact Alice is on the other end. She picked that ringtone for herself on both of our phones. I am immediately concerned because I know Alice would not disturb us unless it was an urgent matter.

"Hey Alice. What's up?"

"Hi Bella. Did you happen to do your laundry just before leaving?"

Thanks to my wolf senses I can hear Alice's voice clearly even though I am sitting across the table. Bella looks at me with a puzzled expression and I shrug, I have no idea why Alice feels the need to confirm right this second whether or not Bella did her laundry.

"I did it the night before."

"So there was nothing in your hamper when you left?"

"Just a t-shirt and some shorts that I usually wear to bed. Why?"

"Okay, don't freak out, but there was a vampire in your house sometime this morning."

"Is Charlie okay?!" Bella asks worriedly.

"Charlie is fine. We've been keeping an eye on him as promised - no one was posted at your house this morning because Charlie went to the police station to do some work. I was on my way to the station to relieve Emmett when I passed close to your house and caught the scent of an unfamiliar vampire. I think it was a male, and whoever it was went in your room through the window. The reason I asked about your laundry is because the only thing I could tell was out of place was an overturned hamper, but it was empty."

"So what you're saying is a strange vampire stole my dirty laundry?" Bella wrinkles her nose in confusion. "Why?"

"Your scent." I answer her before Alice can - it really is the only rational explanation for a vampire stealing Bella's clothes.

"Exactly. We think whoever this vampire was he is working for Victoria. She must have known I'd be keeping an eye on her with my visions so she sent someone else."

"Shit," I whisper. Bella raises an eyebrow at me and I explain to her what I just realized. "There must be at least three of them. Victoria already knows your scent and from what I know about vampires the one who came to your room should be familiar with it after smelling it once. So there is at least one other vampire involved who is going to be familiarizing himself with your scent via the clothes that were stolen."

"We have reason to believe that Victoria's working with quite a bit more than just two other vampires," Alice says. "I'll explain more about that when we talk in person. The main reason I called you is that Jasper and I followed the vampire's scent and traced it all the way to Seattle."

"What?!" I exclaim, roughly pushing my seat back as I get up, startling the waitress who has just arrived at our table with our orders. She nearly drops her tray but I reach out a hand to steady it and she quickly deposits our plates on the table before scurrying away. I make sure she is out of earshot before turning to Bella, "If that vampire is here Victoria might be too. We need to get out of this city now."

"Sit down and stop being so dramatic Leah. You'll scare the humans," Alice's voice comes through the phone. "If you were in any immediate danger I wouldn't have taken this long to get to it."

"The fucking leeches that are targeting my imprint are in the same city as us and you think I'm being dramatic," I speak in a low voice so as not to attract any more attention but I don't sit down.

"Sorry Leah, poor choice of wording. I understand your frustration but it will not do to get worked up and irrational right now. We believe they are staying in a warehouse in the Industrial District, we didn't get close enough to confirm the exact location since we didn't want to alert them to our presence. They are far from where you two are and they can't exactly wander about the city with the weather being what it is."

"What about tonight?" I ask as I sit back down.

"Once the sun goes down it's probably too risky to be downtown but you should be safe at your hotel. Be at the hotel by 5:30, I'll take care of cancelling with the restaurant and making arrangements with the hotel for dinner. Jasper and I will stick around to patrol the area and keep an eye on things."

"What about your Valentine's Day plans?" Bella asks.

"Don't worry about us, just be sure to get to the hotel by sunset and enjoy the rest of your night. Jasper and I will meet you in the lobby tomorrow morning at checkout. I think it goes without saying that your weekend needs to be cut short, especially considering the sun will not be making an appearance tomorrow."

"That makes sense, we'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for everything Alice."

"Of course, Bella. By the way, I fully expect the two of you two dress up for tonight just the same as you would have for the restaurant. I'll require pictures as proof."

She hangs up before either of us can reply and Bella slips her phone back into her pocket. Neither of us has an appetite after our conversation with Alice so we get our uneaten sandwiches wrapped and leave the shop. We have a couple hours before sunset but we don't feel up to the other activities we had planned so we end up walking over to a nearby park, giving our sandwiches to a couple transients on the way, and watching some college students playing a game of ultimate frisbee as we cuddle on a bench. There are a lot of people out and about since the weather is nice - there's an ice cream shop across the street with a line going out the door. By the time we tire of people-watching we have just enough time to stroll back to our hotel before the sun sets.

* * *

The concierge greets us the second we step through the door and into the lobby, letting us know that someone will be at our room at seven to escort us to dinner. Bella thanks him and the two of them make small talk for a couple minutes before we head up to the room. The second we arrive I kick my boots off and collapse backwards onto the bed, glaring at the ceiling.

"Stupid vampires wrecking our Valentine's Day plans," I grumble. "When I find her I'm going to punch Victoria right in her stupid face."

"Aww I know babe, I'm upset too." Bella comes to sit next to me and I reposition myself so my head is in her lap, sighing in contentment as she starts running her hands through my hair. "Still we are lucky Alice was able to warn us so we could stay safe."

"I'm glad we're safe but it sucks that the rest of our plans are ruined," I pout. "I was excited to take you to that restaurant plus there was stuff planned for afterwards and now we-"

Bella stops my whining by bringing a finger up to my lips. She leans down to give me a kiss and even though the angle is a little awkward it wipes the pout right off my face. I manage to sit up and straddle her lap without breaking our kiss. She lays back on the bed and I gently rest my body over hers, using my arms to hold up part of my weight. Just as we both open our mouths to deepen the kiss Bella surprises me by flipping us over so she is on top of me, resting between my legs. I am too busy drowning in the taste of Bella's mouth to care about being on top and anyway I thoroughly enjoy when Bella gets assertive. I shiver as she slides her left hand, still cold from our walk home, under my shirt and runs it up and down my side. I arch my back to allow her to slide the hand underneath me and unhook my bra. I smile into the kiss because her skills never cease to amaze me - more often than not if I try it one-handed I end up tearing her bras. Bella brings her hand back to my side and then creeps her fingers under my now loose bra so that she can take my right breast into her palm and gently massage it. We break apart for breath and she trails kisses down my jaw, nibbling at my earlobe when she reaches it.

"Don't worry," Bella rolls my nipple between her fingers as she whispers in my ear, "I have some ideas about how we can keep ourselves entertained."

I smile as she brings her mouth back up to mine and initiates another kiss. As upset as I am about having to miss out on the activities I had planned, the thought of Bella and I "keeping ourselves entertained" all night long in the hotel room certainly softens the blow. I start to move my hands up from where they are resting at Bella's hip, ready to slide them underneath her shirt and work on freeing her breasts from the confines of her bra. Before I can go through with my plan, Bella breaks off our kiss and pulls her hand out from under my shirt. She gets up off the bed and I sit up to protest but she is already speaking as she walks away.

"Unfortunately those ideas will have to wait until after dinner. We need to get ready before seven, remember?"

* * *

**Please let me know what you think - reviews are appreciated and help keep me motivated and inspired :)**


	15. Chapter 15

I put the finishing touches on my eyeliner, giving myself a once-over in the bathroom mirror. I am wearing a dark red halter dress that reaches mid-thigh. My matching red pumps have short heels because, as I told Alice, I don't really need to make myself any taller. Bella went first in the shower and is getting ready in the room. It took all the self-control I had to walk past her and into the bathroom when she came out wrapped in a short hotel towel but I managed. A knock on the door disturbs my thoughts.

"Babe, it's time for dinner. Are you ready?"

Instead of answering I walk over to the door and swing it open. Bella is standing in front of the door wearing a pale purple one-shoulder dress. I am mesmerized by the creamy white skin of her neck and bare shoulder, wanting nothing more than to lean forward and kiss every inch of exposed skin. I am about to do just that when I hear the sound of a throat clearing and look over Bella's shoulder to see the young man from this morning standing uncomfortable in the hall outside our room. Bella's face turns red as she snaps her eyes away from my legs and turns to look at him as well. Seeing that he has our attention, he speaks.

"If you both are ready, I'm here to escort you to dinner."

Bella and I scramble to grab our clutches before exiting the room and following him to the elevator which takes us downstairs to the hotel restaurant. He leads us through the main dining area where a few couples are scattered throughout the restaurant having romantic candlelit dinners. Eventually we reach a staircase leading up to a lofted area at the back of the restaurant and Bella grabs my arm for balance as we climb the stairs. I look down and smirk at the sight of the stilettos Alice must have forced upon her, surprised she made it this far without tripping. There is only one table which is in the center of the room and as Bella and I approach a waiter pulls the chairs out for both of us while our escort leaves.

"Good evening. My name is James and I will be serving you tonight," he says while opening the bottle of red wine on the table and pouring some into our glasses. "The chef has prepared the menu exactly as requested over the phone. However if you need anything else please do not hesitate to ask. I will be right back with your first course."

Bella and I both thank him before he walks away. I take a sip of the wine and watch Bella do the same with an amused smile on her face.

"Something funny?"

"Alice," Bella responds. "I'm imagining how much fun she must have had coming up with a menu for us. She is always so fascinated by what we eat."

I grin. It's true, Alice has a weird obsession with human food. She probably loved having the chance to select a menu for our dinner. No doubt she will be asking us all about it when we see her. Before I can respond the waiter returns and we change the topic of conversation as we start eating. The food is delicious although I am barely paying attention to it as I am too busy concentrating on Bella. I let her do most of the talking, content just listening to her voice and watching her face light up as she speaks. By the time dessert arrives we have settled into a comfortable silence and I find myself staring at Bella as she eats. She notices my rapt attention and blushes before shooting me a shy smile. She sets her fork back down on the table and licks her lips, not breaking eye contact. I jump out of my chair, startling James who is standing attentively at his post by the back wall. He rushes forwards to see what I need but I hold up a hand to stop him.

"We're fine James. I'm just feeling a little hot," I keep my eyes on Bella as I speak. "I think we should probably head back to our room."

Bella raises an eyebrow at my words but she pulls the napkin off her lap and starts to stand. To James' credit he does not bother offering to adjust the thermostat and I notice the hint of a smile on his face as Bella and I thank him and rush down the stairs. The elevator doors have not fully closed before I have my hands tangled in Bella's hair so I can pull her in for deep kiss. Bella responds enthusiastically and neither of us come up for air until we hear the ding that signifies the elevator door is about to open. We manage to keep our hands off each other in the hallway but the second we are inside the room Bella has me pinned against the door, her hands gripping my hips as she starts kissing my neck. I lean my head back to give her more access and let out a moan as she nips at my earlobe. Just as I settle my hands on the back of Bella's thighs my phone starts ringing and we both still.

"Ignore it," Bella mumbles against my neck before stepping away to lace our hands together and pull me towards the bed. I nod dumbly and let the phone continue to ring as I toss my clutch on the dresser. I pull her in for a kiss and we stand at the foot of the bed exploring each other's mouths with our tongues. The phone is still ringing when we pull apart and Bella rolls her eyes.

"Maybe you should just answer and get rid of whoever it is. I'm going to go wipe off this make-up."

Bella heads towards the restroom and I grab my phone, cursing myself for not silencing it or turning it off before dinner.

"This better be important," I growl into the phone as I flip it open.

"Uhh, hi Leah," Charlie's voice comes through the phone, obviously taken aback my less than friendly greeting. "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"Not at all Charlie," I say in an overly perky voice. "What's up?"

"Bella's phone is off and I was trying to get a hold of her," he responds.

"Oh I think she forgot to charge it last night," I lie, feeling overly cautious about making Charlie suspicious. "She's in the restroom right now, I can have her call you back?"

"That's okay," Charlie says. "Will you just let her know I won't be home when you girls get back tomorrow. I was actually hoping you or Alice could spend the night since I'll be out late, maybe all night. Or maybe Bella could spend the night at your house."

"I wouldn't mind staying over Charlie. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just police business. Going to be helping out with an investigation over in Port Angeles. Thanks Leah. I'll let you get back to your girls' weekend now."

"No problem Charlie."

Bella walks out of the door as I am hanging up, her face still a little damp from being washed. She gives me a questioning look and I fill her in on what Charlie told me. The mood has shifted and I decide to take a minute to freshen up as well. When I emerge from the restroom Bella is sitting on the edge of the bed and removing her heels. I smile at the relief that washes over her face when her feet are free and I kick off my own heels before making my way towards her. She stands when she sees me coming and meets me halfway. This time when we kiss it is slower. We take our time letting our lips softly glide against each other, keeping the kiss sweet and chaste. I pull away after a few seconds and look into Bella's eyes, my thumbs rubbing gently circles at her hips.

"I need you out of that dress," Bella says. Her voice is calm but her eyes are swirling with desire. She steps back and we both maintain eye contact as we strip off our clothes until we are left standing naked. We both take a moment to admire each other before coming back together for another kiss. This one is not slow or chaste. The sense of urgency from before is back and our hands roam all over each other as our tongues battle for dominance. Before I know it I am laying on my back on the bed with Bella straddling me. I can feel her wet center pressing against my waist as she hovers over me and it is driving me wild. I attempt to sit up so I can kiss her but she gently pushes me back down onto the bed, grinning as she hovers over me. Her hands slide up my stomach to my breasts and she leans down to lay a kiss at the base of my throat as she plays with my nipples.

Bella takes her time with me, working her way downwards from my throat, leaving kisses everywhere. By the time she reaches my stomach I am aching for her but she slides down lower, running her hands up and down my legs as she leaves a kiss on each knee. Now she begins to work her way back up, peppering kisses on the insides of my thighs. I squeeze my eyes shut when I finally feel her run her tongue along my slit. I let out a shudder and thankfully she decides not to tease me any further, using two of her fingers to enter me as her tongue finds my clit. It does not take long for me to reach climax, crying out in release as she brings me over the edge. She slides back up my body and kisses me before laying down and resting her head on my shoulder, kissing the bare skin under her mouth as her hand snakes across my waist. I take a few moments to catch my breath before flipping her over onto her back to return the favor.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait. Thanks to those of you who reviewed - you motivated me to get this finished.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Not a lot of plot to this chapter, but hopefully you enjoy it all the same.**

* * *

I land on my back, sliding through the mud with all four paws up in the air. Once I finish straightening out and shaking the mud out of my fur, I glance to the middle of the clearing to see Jasper standing expressionless as he waits for me to gather myself. Behind him, Emmett is guffawing at my less than graceful landing. Alice slaps his arm but seems to be biting back a grin as she uses her other hand to rub Bella's back in a comforting gesture. My mate is alternating between staring at me with concern and glaring a hole into the back of Jasper's head.

Last weekend after we met up with Alice and Jasper they both filled us in on their theory about the Victoria - that she is creating a newborn vampire army to come after Bella. Soon afterwards we scheduled this training session so that Jasper could teach us what he knows about fighting vampires, newborns in particular. Apparently all of his scars are the product of the decades he spent working with newborn vampires as part of some great vampire war that happened over a hundred years ago. He had told me a little about his past once when we were hanging out, but didn't really go into detail back then. He told Bella and I a little more about it on the way back from Seattle, I think in order to reassure me that he had the experience to help us all protect Bella.

I glance over at her, still looking at me with concern, before steeling myself to take another stab at Jasper.

* * *

My muscles are sore when I collapse onto Bella's bed, wearing shorts and nothing else. The top I was going to wear ends up trapped between my right arm and the blanket. I am too exhausted to deal with actually putting it on. I tell myself it doesn't matter anyway since Charlie is away on a fishing trip. I know I'm being a little dramatic but it really has been a long night. It has been over a month since that first training session with Jasper but every time seems to be just as hard on me as the last. Today I ended up training with Alice - she has even more energy in a fight than she does when she's shopping, and that's saying something. The bedroom door creaks and I turn to see Bella walking towards me in shorts and a tank top. Intermingled with her normal scent is the smell of toothpaste and face-wash.

"Too tired to dress for bed?"

I grumble unintelligibly and she chuckles. She walks over and pulls the top from under my arm, tossing it on her nearby chair before taking a seat next to me on the edge of the bed. After a second I feel her fingers ghosting up and down my back in a soothing rhythm.

"How about a massage?"

My response is a grin and a nod. I'm already regaining my energy - being a werewolf means a pretty quick recovery time - but a massage sounds nice regardless. Bella shifts so that she is straddling my thighs and begins to gently massage my shoulders. I lose track of time as her hands work their magic and I know I am audibly purring but I am too content to care. After a while Bella has me turn over, and when she straddles my waist I am overwhelmed by the love and affection in her gaze as our eyes meet. I can't help pulling her towards me, tangling both my hands in her hair as she plants her elbows on either side of my head to support herself. She hovers over me, staring deep into my eyes for a few seconds before her eyelids flutter shut and she closes the distance between us. Our lips brush over each other lightly at first, barely skimming each other as our breath mingles together. After a few minutes of light, teasing kisses I move my hands down to Bella's waist and begin to slide her tank top up. After the tank top is pulled up high enough to reveal her breasts, I massage the soft flesh and feel her nipples harden under my palms. Before I can do anything else, Bella pulls away to sit up. When I try to use the opportunity to pull her shirt off completely she pushes my hands away.

"No more touching. You spend too much time taking care of me. I want tonight to be all about me taking care of you."

I am about to protest when she leans back down to glide her tongue over my lips before taking my bottom lip between her teeth and giving it a light tug. She lowers herself further to nibble on my earlobe.

"Please," she exhales into my ear.

"Unhh," I moan as she immediately moves down to my neck and begins lavishing my throat with attention. I feel her grin against my neck as she recognizes her victory and a minute later she sits back up to straighten out her shirt. I grab her wrists just as she finishes lowering the shirt and give her a pout. She grins and lifts the bottom of the shirt back up so that her breasts are exposed once more.

"Fine, but remember what I said...no touching."

I frown but drop my hands back down onto the bed. Bella gets up off the bed and heads towards her closet. Her grin has turned decidedly mischievous and I am very curious about what she is doing but decide to wait patiently on the bed as she rummages through her closet. Over the past few weeks I have seen a dominant side of Bella in the bedroom that I really enjoy. I have never liked being told what to do by anyone, but Bella is definitely an exception. Eric and some of the guys from the pack like to make jokes about how I am completely and thoroughly whipped - I never try to deny it. They guys from the pack who make those jokes haven't imprinted yet so they don't know what it's like. Though I think even without the imprint I would be putty in Bella Swan's hands, and I am okay with that.

"Sit up against the headboard," Bella calls out from the closet and I immediately do so.

Bella walks out from the closet with her hands behind her back, the position making her chest pop out. My eyes are glued to her exposed breasts, nipples standing at attention, and the smooth expanse of her stomach. My fingers itch to take off her tank top completely, followed by her shorts, but instead I sit still and watch my mate come closer. When she is a foot away from the bed, the mischievous grin still plastered to her face, she reveals what she went to the closet to fetch - handcuffs. She doesn't say anything but raises one eyebrow in an expression that is at once a question and a challenge.

"How do you want me?" Whipped, whipped, whipped.

* * *

**A/N: If you want me to continue down this path (basically more smut) for some/all of the next chapter let me know in your review. Otherwise the next chapter will be moving on to actual plot (no smut).**


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks for all the feedback and the input. As requested by a majority of you, this picks up where we left off last time. I was hoping to add some plot to the end, but since this part was done and I have no idea when I'll be able to write more - I figured a short smut filled update was better than nothing.

* * *

I can smell the fresh flood of arousal my question sparks in Bella and that is enough to have me soaking my own shorts. In the last month we have taken advantage of every chance we've had to make love, but it hasn't felt like nearly enough. Although I've gotten glimpses of Bella's more adventurous side, we haven't had a lot of opportunities to get creative. Exploring this new type of intimacy with my imprint is an incredibly arousing situation.

I am sitting up against the headboard with my legs stretched in front of me and I hold my wrists together in front of me after asking the questions. Instead of answering, she straddles my lap and her nipples brush against my breasts as she settles into place. She grabs my wrists and maneuvers my hands so that they are behind my back, her breasts pressing into me as she reaches around to secure the handcuffs.

"I think this will be enough to ensure you keep your hands to yourself. Plus if I used the headboard, I think you'd just break it," she explains.

I chuckle because she's probably right. Though as I test the strength of the chain behind my back I realize I could probably snap the handcuffs too. Bella slips off of my lap and stands next to the bed, looking down at me with lust filled eyes. She reaches for the waistband of my shorts and I arch my hips off the bed to help her take them off. She only pulls them down as far as my knees, so I can't open my legs very much without tearing the shorts.

"Aren't you going to take them off?" I ask when she removes her hands.

"No."

Her voice carries a commanding tone I haven't heard before and it sends tingles through my body. She continues to stare at me from beside the bed, as if contemplating where to start. I am used to Bella's eyes on my body but this feels different, I feel vulnerable. Even though my legs are closed, that somehow makes me feel more exposed than if Bella had me spread them. I am hyperaware of the arousal seeping down my thighs as I clench them together to try and assuage the throbbing sensation in my pussy.

After what seems like an eternity Bella moves to straddle me once more, however this time she does not settle her weight onto my lap, instead staying up on her knees so she is hovering over where I need her the most. She grasps onto the headboard for support and lowers her head to kiss me. I am careful to let her set the pace and we start slow and chaste, our lips sliding together in a sensual rhythm. After a couple minutes she begins to use her tongue to explore my mouth, keeping the same slow rhythm. Despite how close we are, she is not touching any part of my body but my mouth and it is driving me insane. I try to arch up into her but she uses one hand to push me back down without breaking our kiss. Instead of bringing that hand back up to the headboard she slips it in the space between our bodies and traces tiny circles on my stomach with her fingers. When her fingers begin making their way downward I try to part my legs but it is hard to do much without ripping the shorts. There is enough room for her hand regardless and she quickly finds my clit and gives it a flick before moving lower and running her fingers through my juices. Once more I try to arch up to create more pressure and this time she breaks our kiss, pulling her hand away.

"Patience, baby. Be still."

The words are whispered as she twists around to pull my shorts down to my ankles, leaving them there so that I still can't completely spread my legs but she does have more room to work with. She repositions herself so she is straddling my thigh, her leg falling between mine and just barely brushing my outer lips. I long to push myself into her but I do as she says and stay still. She uses the hand she had between my legs to play with my nipples, switching between the two. Her fingers are covered in my arousal and she spreads it around my nipples with her fingers before using her mouth to suck both of them clean. It takes every bit of self-control I have not to move as she lavishes my breasts with attention.

When I feel her teeth scrape along the tip of one of my nipples I finally lose my control and buck my hips upward, pressing my wet center into her leg - enough contact to make me groan but not nearly enough to be satisfying. I lean back to adjust my angle, not too proud to hump her leg to get the release I am desperate for. I only get a few desperate thrusts in before her leg disappears. I watch in frustration as she stands at the foot of the bed and pulls down her tank-top, covering her breasts from my view.

"Not great at following orders, are you?" She shakes her head as she reaches down to pull my shorts off completely and throw them on the floor. "Spread your legs."

I immediately oblige her and spread my legs as far as I can, opening my wet pussy to the cold night air. She stares at my offering silently, a light blush creeping up her neck as she tries to keep her face impassive. I feel myself getting wetter at her scrutiny and I am about to start begging for her to do something but she finally moves towards me, kneeling on the bed between my legs and pushing two fingers deep into me without ceremony. I'm so wet that her fingers slide in easily and I groan at the sensation. Bella uses her other hand to massage my breasts while she pumps in and out of me in an agonizingly slow way, using her thumb to brush teasingly across my clit. She keeps me on the edge of orgasm for what feels like hours before she leans down and replaces her thumb with her lips. She slips a third finger inside me as she sucks on my swollen clit and pinches one of my nipples. I cry out as my orgasm washes over me, trembling from the sheer force of it. Bella doesn't slow down and I can feel the pressure start to build again. She glances up at me as she continues her work, and I can tell by the look in her eyes that she is nowhere near finished.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Very sorry about the lack of plot the last couple chapters - smut just doesn't take as much time to write. I'm back to working on this story with the goal of updating somewhat more frequently (with some actual plot) but with shorter chapters. Sorry, it's the best I can do right now.

* * *

After phasing back, I grab some clothes out of the bag I left hanging on a branch and pull them on. When I emerge back into the clearing, the rest of the pack is standing around in shorts. Sam breaks away from his conversation with Paul and walks towards me.

"You're distracted," he does nothing to conceal the disappointment. "The tiny bloodsucker didn't even have to try."

"Alice," I correct him.

The Cullens left immediately after we finished training for the night, but that doesn't keep me from being irritated at the slur. I don't bother with any other response - I can hardly argue the point considering that the entire pack was privy to my thoughts as I sparred with Alice. Bella wasn't here to watch our training session today, and that distracted me more than having her here usually does. Even though I know Emmett is more than capable of watching out for her while we train, I can't help but worry when I'm not close to her. This Victoria situation has me on edge.

"The rest of the pack is in top shape right now, Leah. And as much as I hate to admit it, the Cullens have shown that they are more than capable of holding their own. But if you're that distracted when we face the newborns, you're going to get hurt. Or get one of us hurt. Pull it together."

I nod and start to form a response but before I can, my phone starts ringing.

* * *

Bella is already at the Cullen house when we get there, probably brought over by Emmett after Alice had her vision. I join Bella on the couch while Sam remains standing in the entrance to the living room, still not entirely comfortable being in the presence of so many vampires without the rest of the pack around. I see the fact that he is actually inside the house as progress.

"I missed you," Bella whispers as she scoots in closer to me and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you too," I respond with a peck on her lips. I put my arm around her shoulders, already feeling calmer with her by my side, and shift my focus to Alice. "So what exactly do we know."

"Two weeks," Alice says. "That's really all I could get. By our estimates she only has around 15 newborns - with that timeline they may be able to turn few more."

"That wouldn't be a lot of time to train new ones," Jasper adds.

"They don't need a lot of training," Bella quietly comments. "Victoria doesn't care if they survive. That many of them will be a challenge for you guys regardless."

"True," Jasper nods, "but she needs enough time to make sure they'll be able to follow directions and hunt for your scent without getting distracted if another human happens by their path on the way here. Wrangling newborns isn't exactly an easy task."

Everyone immediately begins discussing how best to prepare for when Victoria brings her newborn army to go after Bella. I know I should be paying attention, but I already know what needs to happen. I can fill the rest of them in after I make sure Bella is okay. She seemed incredibly distressed when she made the comment about the newborns being challenging. I rub her shoulder to get her attention and give her a concerned look when she meets my eyes, knowing she'll understand my unspoken question. She sighs and looks back down at her lap.

"I feel like this is my fault. I hate that everyone is being put in danger because of me and I can't even do anything to help. I just can't stand the thought of one of you getting hurt or..."

She trails off and looks away, but it's easy for me to fill in the blanks. She was whispering but there isn't a person in the room who couldn't hear her. Thankfully they ignore what is clearly a private conversation and continue their planning. Though I can tell by the way Alice straightened up and quickly glanced over that she is fighting back the urge to gently knock some sense into Bella.

"Babe, if anyone is to blame for this situation it's Victoria - none of this is even close to being your fault. And I'm not going to lie and say that none of us will be in danger fighting those newborns, but we will be more than prepared to deal with them."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," I say. "I have a plan."


	19. Chapter 19

"Leah."

I think that is Edward's version of an amiable greeting so I acknowledge him with a nod, but I don't interrupt my path to my regular cafeteria table. As weird as it is that Edward spoke to me when he didn't have to, Bella is already at the table and looking incredibly annoyed as she speaks with Mike. My instinct is to rush over and growl at Mike until he leaves my mate alone. Before I get close enough to do that, Edward grabs my arm and prompts me to growl at him instead.

"Problem?"

"We need to talk," he says as he removes his hand and nods to an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria. "It won't take long"

I glance back over at Bella to see that her face has gone from annoyed to angry as Mike leans in to speak with her. I tamp down my urge to head over there and bang Mike's head into the table for making her angry because I don't think Bella would appreciate my intervention. She is perfectly capable of handling herself and I am on thin ice at school as it is. I turn my attention to Edward and nod again, following him to the isolated table. He speaks in a low voice to ensure our conversation cannot be overheard.

"I should be the one to stay with Bella and the pup during the fight."

I stop myself from snapping at him, even though I'm certain he's just doing this as part of his not so secret quest to "win Bella back" from me. He has told her he accepts our relationship, but I know it is just because she probably wouldn't talk to him at all otherwise. Not that she talks to him much now, but I can tell by the way he looks at her that he is still holding out hope for their relationship to rekindle. I take a moment to calm myself before responding.

"Why is that?"

"With all the vampires nearby it'll be harder for you two to pick out the scent of anyone approaching until they are close by. I'll be able to hear their thoughts long before one of you would be able to smell them."

"With the pack's link, we should have plenty of warning if Victoria or one of her newborns slip away from the fight."

"Do you really want Bella's safety to hinge on one of your pack members being able to keep count of all the newborns in the middle of a fight? And what if there are newborns who split from the group before the fight even begins? You would leave the safety of your _girlfriend_ to chance like that?"

I ignore the sarcastic way he says "girlfriend" as I think through our plan again. We had decided last night that Brady and I would stay with Bella. My least favorite part of the plan is that Bella will be so close to the danger, but it seemed like the best option given the circumstances. And Brady may be one of the two newest additions to the pack, but fighting vampires is in our blood - I was confident in our ability to keep Bella safe, especially since the plan made it unlikely we'd even see any action. Plus, that left all seven Cullens and eight pack members to fight Victoria and her newborns. I frown as I realize Edward might be right. Even though we were comfortable with the numbers, the fight would still be close enough that it might be asking to much to count on the pack to notice someone slipping away. Not to mention the possibility of Victoria anticipating our actions and splitting someone off beforehand. As unlikely as either option seems, Edward is right. I can't leave it Bella's safety to chance.

"Shit. Why didn't you bring this up last night?"

"I knew if I brought it up then, you would oppose it before I could explain and everyone would jump all over each other to be the first to agree with you. I knew if I had the chance to speak with you separately, in a less emotional situation than last night, you would see reason. If you bring it up people will listen."

I note the bitter way he commented on how everyone would be eager to agree with me, but choose not to respond to that. I've gotten fairly good at ignoring things Edward says or does because despite being a 100 year old vampire, he acts like an overdramatic teenager most of the time.

"Fine, I'll bring it up tonight."


End file.
